SpiceJet Connects Pune Direct to Dubai with a New Daily Flight

SpiceJet, the second largest low fare airline in India, is adding a new route in its international network by introducing direct daily flights between Pune and Dubai. The new daily flight will be effecting from 15th April 2015 and will replace existing services on Pune- Sharjah sector which operates four days a week.

Manohar Parrikar to discuss next generation AWACS, French missile deal next week

New Delhi: The Defence Ministry is set to decide on going ahead with a Rs 5,200 crore strategic programme to develop a next generation of airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) that will act as a major force multiplier for the Indian Air Force (IAF), giving it a deep insight into enemy territory.

Air connectivity to Mysuru remains grounded

The city’s air connectivity with the rest of India continues to remain grounded even as the local start-ups in the airline industry have ignored Mysuru whose long wait for the re-launch of commercial flights continues without any respite.
In the latest setback, the Bengaluru-based regional carrier, Air Pegasus, which secured permission to operate from the Director General of Civil Aviation this week, has ignored Mysuru in its flight plans and will instead fly to Hubbali and Thiruvananthapuram.

Aviation ministry seeks rationalisation of security force cost

New Delhi: There is a new thinking on airport security in the ministry of civil aviation (MoCA), which views it as a sovereign function and believe that air passengers should not be charged for it.

Today, a large part of the Rs 147 per ticket a flyer pays as passenger service fee (PSF) consists of cost incurred by airports for the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) deployment.

Delhi airport had most number of bird hits in 2014

Chennai: Bird strikes don't cause as many air accidents as they used to till a couple of decades ago, thanks to better resilience and backup mechanisms of aircraft, but they continue to be a risk.

Delhi airport tops the list with the most number of bird strikes reported in 2014 followed by Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata.

Indian Official Describes Latest AEW&C Plans

India is seeking a joint-venture deal with Embraer to export the EMB-145 AEW&C system, now that it has decided on a larger platform to meet Indian Air Force (IAF) requirements. The country has acquired three of the Brazilian aircraft and equipped them with an indigenous radar system. They are now undergoing trials, and two will enter service with the IAF.

Ambedkar Maidan helipad transferred to aviation department

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to transfer the helipad and the state of art VIP guesthouse, part of the Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan, to the Civil Aviation Department.

Helicopter deal under scanner

Jammu: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Jammu and Kashmir government for purchasing a helicopter for VIP movement in a non-transparent manner. In its report for the year ended March 31, 2014, the CAG has pointed out that procurement of  Augusta-109E Power was not carried out in a transparent manner by JKs Civil Aviation Department (CAD).

Air Canada to restart India operations soon

Bengaluru: Canadian national carrier Air Canada, which had suspended its India operations on May 31, 2007, will soon reconnect with India. The airline, which used to fly a Boeing 777 to India, suspended operations as it was finding it uneconomical.

Jet Airways mulls domestic flights from Surat

Ahmedabad: In a bid to take its tally of operating points in the state of Gujarat, Jet Airways is mulling starting flight services from Surat now. The operator currently has seven operating points including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhuj, Porbandar, Diu and Bhavnagar in the state.

Kuwait Air flights to Kochi

Kochi: Kuwait Airways will operate two flights daily between Kochi and Kuwait from March 30. The airways, which started operations from Kochi in 2002, said in a press release that it would fly A320 aircraft with 117 economy-class seats and 16 business-class seats.

Airport offers budding artists ticket to fame

Lucknow: City's amateur and budding artists may soon find a new platform to showcase their talent—Lucknow airport. Union ministry of civil aviation has asked the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to set up a dedicated art gallery at the new terminal building of Amausi airport where upcoming painters and sculptors, may put up their creations for public viewing and even sale.

1 Kg Gold Seized from Rectum of Passenger

Karipur: The Air Customs Intelligence (ACI) officials nabbed a passenger with one kilogram of smuggled gold at Calicut International Airport on Thursday. Edakkara native A P Shihab is the arrested in connection with the case.

Shihab arrived at the airport on board an Indigo flight from Dubai.

New civil aviation policy to be finalised shortly: Minister

New Delhi: Government is likely to finalise the new civil aviation policy shortly, Minister of State for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma said.

"We are waiting for certain inputs from stakeholders .... I think within a very short time,?could be in a week's time, it should be finalised," Sharma told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event here.

Now, IndiGo Offers All-Inclusive Tickets From Rs 1,395

Amid airlines offering hefty discounts in order to attract customers, budget carrier IndiGo has now announced domestic all-inclusive fares starting as low as Rs 1,395.

IndiGo's 'lower than low' scheme offers tickets for travel from Delhi to destinations including Goa, Mumbai, Pune, Jaipur, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. Bookings under this offer have to be "made 90 days before travel date", says IndiGo, India's largest airline in terms of domestic market share.

Court Asks DGCA not to De-register SpiceJet Planes till April 6

New Delhi: In a reprieve to SpiceJet, the Delhi High Court today asked aviation regulator DGCA not to de-register its six leased planes till April six, saying the no-frill carrier was likely to settle the dispute with two Irish aircraft leasing firms.

Not interested in anybody else but IndiGo: Qatar Airways

The Arabian Kingdom of Qatar is looking at scaling up its economic partnership with India. During the ongoing visit of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani to Delhi, both sides discussed how the Arabian Kingdom can use its sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority to invest in railways, defence and infra sectors.

Telangana govt to take up only three airports for now

Hyderabad: The Telangana government may have to rethink about its ambitious plans of building greenfield airports in all the districts due to lack of funds and other issues. The government has now asked the infrastructure and investment department to take up only three airports in the first phase - at Warangal, Kothagudem and Adilabad. Official sources said that the airports at Nizamabad, Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar may not materialise due to fund crunch and restrictions imposed on developing airports within 150 km radius of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad.

Direct air routes deemed key to Vietnam-India tourism cooperation

A recently signed agreement between India and the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport will serve as an important legal framework to facilitate the development of their transport infrastructure, Billa noted at a tourism promotion event held by the Vietnamese Embassy in New Delhi on March 24.

More flights this summer as domestic airlines add planes

Mumbai: The country's top airports will witness about 8% growth in daily departures with airlines adding flights in summer.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports which handle over 50% of air traffic handled 1,114 departures daily in winter schedule and the figure is expected to go up to 1,203 departures in summer owing to proposed increase in domestic and international flights.

Top airports to see 8% growth in summer daily departures

Mumbai: The country's top airports would see eight per cent growth in daily departures, with airlines adding flights this summer.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad airports, which together handle over half of the Indian air traffic, handled 1,114 departures daily in the winter schedule. This will rise to 1,203 in summer.

Has government skipped PPP appraisal committee nod for 4 airport privatisation projects?

New Delhi: It's not just the HR matters but also the lack of in-principle nod of the Public-Private-Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) that is hampering the privatisation process of the four airports undertaken by the ministry of civil aviation, said an Airports Authority of India (AAI) source.

Navy plane crash: Woman among 2 officers missing

New Delhi: Hours after its Dornier aircraft disappeared from the radar 25 nautical miles off the coast of Goa, the Navy deployed 12 search and rescue ships and four aircraft to look for two missing personnel, including a young woman lieutenant. The captain of the aircraft, Commander Nikhil Joshi, who was spotted by a fisherman an hour after the crash, was admitted to a naval hospital in Karwar. Navy chief Admiral R K Dhowan visited Joshi and Navy officials said he is “unconscious but stable”.

25-year-old pilot from Udaipur missing in Navy plane crash

Udaipur: Even as Indian Navy continued it`s search for the Dornier surveillance aircraft based at INS Hansa, Goa, that crashed into the sea during a routine training sortie around 30 miles southwest in Arabian sea off the coast of Karwar, Karnataka, friends and relatives made a beeline at the Chitrakoot Nagar residence in Udaipur of 25-year-old pilot Abhinav Nagori who`s missing in the crash.

GMR to buy Additional 10% Stake in Delhi Airport

New Delhi: Hiking its stake in Delhi International Airport to 64 per cent, GMR Infrastructure will acquire an additional 10 per cent equity for $79 million from Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), which is exiting the venture.

International airport PAP rehab project gets green go-ahead

Navi Mumbai: The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has given the environment clearance on Wednesday for Vadghar project, which is being developed for rehabilitation of the airport project affected persons (PAPs).

Vigilance report questions EC Nasim Zaidi role in key appointment in DGCA

New Delhi: A vigilance report has accused Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi of not following proper procedure while making a key appointment in the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The appointment was done in June 2012 when he was secretary in the civil aviation.

Rafale the next logical step under 'Make in India': Dassault Aviation

New Delhi: Pitching the multi-billion deal for 126 Rafale combat jets as the "logical step" towards the 'Make in India' initiative, Dassault Aviation on Wednesday hoped that the contract which has been "95% finalised" would be signed soon.

Chamber wants Calicut airport privatised

Kozhikode: The Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry has come out with a demand to privatise the Calicut International Airport, as the government had “completely failed” to ensure the development of the airport even after more than two decades.

Airlines make a gold rush as fans fly to Australia for the World Cup semifinal

New Delhi: It seems all air routes are converging in Australia. With the cricket fever catching up one and all in India, travellers from this cricket-crazy nation are rushing for flight tickets to Down Under. And the airlines are making the most of the season.

While some of the outbound Indian travellers have reached Australia, there are others who are waiting due to various reasons - from availability of flight seats to visa-related issues.

Desi feel in Aussie air as fans fly down to Sydney

Mumbai: Probably for the first time in history, Australian skipper Micheal Clarke and his boys will find today that the Sydney stadium is no longer their home ground. The 42,000-seat venue would mysteriously seem to be India as it will be largely packed with Indians, quite a number of them from Mumbai. The home ground advantage would clearly be with the Men in Blue.

Broke AI seeks to raise $300m via ECB route

India’s national carrier has fallen on bad days and even needs money to buy spare parts. Loss-laden Air India wants the government to allow it to raise $300 million through external commercial borrowing (ECB) to pare its high-cost rupee loan and procure spare parts.

Etihad Airways deploys Boeing 787-9 To Mumbai

Mumbai: Etihad Airways, the national airline of United Arab Emirates, has started flying its second Boeing 787-9 between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. The aircraft operates on the daily EY206 which departs from Abu Dhabi at 10pm and lands in Mumbai at 3am. The aircraft departs Mumbai at 4.30am and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 6.25am, enabling guests to connect on to more than 50 destinations on Etihad Airways’ global network.

Two upgraded Mirage 2000 handed over to India in France

Istres: French defence major Dassault Aviation on Wednesday handed over the first two upgraded Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft with advanced navigational, radar and missile systems to India amidst continuing stalemate on the over USD 20 billion Rafale contract.
The entire fleet of 48 aircraft is being upgraded with the help of Dassault Aviation and Thales under a Rs 10,000 crore deal signed in July 2011.

Indian airports to trial baggage kiosks

The Times of India reports that the Indian government has asked airport operators to create special kiosks that weigh a passenger’s checked bags and create luggage tags.

“We are working on the baggage self check-in machines.

Airport to get an underground Metro station

Lucknow: Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport would soon get an underground Metro station, just about 300 metres away from the main entrances of the both terminals, domestic and international. Earlier, the plan was to construct an elevated Metro corridor from Amausi to the airport but later, it was felt that the elevated station would block the front view of the airport and also not be able to cater to passengers of both terminals alike.

Another daily international flight connecting Ahmedabad from March 29

Ahmedabad: City of Ahmedabad will be further connected to the world through launching of a new international flight.

Jet Airways is going to introduce daily new flights between Ahmedabad and Abu Dhabi from March 29, 2015.

Malaysian Woman Dies of Cardiac Arrest at Chennai Airport

Chennai:  A 58-year-old Malaysian woman died due to cardiac arrest just an hour before she was scheduled to take a flight from here to Kuala Lumpur today, airport authorities said.

Police case aganist fliers who filmed woman: Indigo

Mumbai: Indigo Airlines on Wednesday said it would file a police complaint against two passengers who allegedly recorded videos of airhostesses and other fliers on a Delhi-Guwahati-Imphal flight early on Tuesday morning. A senior Indigo official said two instances of such recordings being made on the aircraft had been reported.

Sand mafia resumes mining at airport site

Navi Mumbai: Illegal sand mining activities are taking place in at least two spots within the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport area in Panvel taluka. Local activists informed TOI that the illegal sand mining groups have trespassed into the restricted site, near Karnala Sports Academy in Panvel. The locals and activists have also noticed use of suction pumps to extract sand from areas near Gadhi and Kalundre rivers.

Airport Customs officer under scanner in M-Cat seizure case

Mumbai: In a major twist, a Customs officer working at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) at Sahar has come under the scanner of the police department for his alleged involvement in the Mephedrone (M-Cat) racket case.

Indian customs seizes 1.5m gold, nabs 2 smugglers

Ahmedabad:  Indian Air Intelligence Unit of Customs Department has arrested two men for smuggling gold worth 1.5 million within two days at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.
Customs officials said that they has detected five cases of gold smuggling since Sunday.

3 kg gold recovered from passenger at Hyderabad airport

Hyderabad: Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 3 kg of gold worth Rs 79 lakh from a passenger at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here.

Regional airlines to get new wings

New Delhi: The government has proposed a raft of sops for airlines dedicated to small towns.

A new category of carriers - scheduled commuter airlines - will be set up to link small airports to metros, though the carriers will not be allowed to ply between metros.

Five aircraft leasing cos take SpiceJet to court: Reports

According to reports, Spicejet Ltd has announced that five aircraft-leasing entities based in Ireland have terminated their agreements and have gone to court to recover dues.

HC gives SpiceJet time to settle fleet de-registration case

In a case where a lessor has been seeking de-registration of aircraft leased to SpiceJet  , the Delhi High Court today granted the carrier time till April 7 to settle the dispute with its lessor, AWAS Ireland. AWAS has been seeking de-registration of six of its aircraft.

Govt gives nod to Bareilly airport; land acquisition process begins

Bareilly: With the state government giving a go-ahead to district authorities for purchasing and acquiring land to set up a civilian airport in the city, local residents' dreams for such a facility in their hometown has come a step closer to reality.

Two fliers caught filming airhostess, escape when plane stops for refuelling

Mumbai: In a mid-air drama, a woman passenger confronted two fellow passengers for allegedly clicking pictures and recording videos of an airhostess on their mobile phones on a Delhi-Guwahati-Imphal Indigo flight (6E 221) early on Tuesday.

Airlines yet to receive fuel price benefit

Mumbai/New Delhi: Domestic airlines have not been able to report strong profits despite lower jet fuel prices but are better placed to take advantage of declining prices than their peers in Asia-Pacific because of the very low levels of fuel hedging and relative strength of the rupee.

Greenfield private airport set for takeoff

Durgapur: This passenger terminal should put most of the smaller airports in the region to shame: it can accommodate 450 passengers boarding or alighting four airplanes, simultaneously; work is on in full swing to complete the four km access road from NH-2; and at the air traffic control (ATC), technicians are busy getting everything in order.

Germanwings A320 crash throws spotlight on Air India's ancient A320s

Though it's very early in the day to comment on what caused Lufthansa-subsidiary Germanwings' Airbus A320 to crash in the French Alps earlier today with presumably all souls lost, on flight 4U9525 from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, one of the earliest facts picked up by news outlets was that the aircraft was around 24 years old. Airframe facts such as age are now routinely available on aircraft websites, often updated by volunteers.

Air Pegasus gets flying permit from DGCA

New Delhi: Air Pegasus, a regional carrier based out of Bengaluru, became the ninth carrier in the country after receiving a flying permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Tuesday.

Air Pegasus also becomes the third new airline to take to Indian skies in the past one year. While AirAsia India, Tata Sons' low-cost venture with AirAsia Berhad, started services in June 2014, Vistara, Tata Sons' joint venture company with Singapore Airlines, launched operations in January this year.

Air India budget estimate sees operational profitability in FY'15-'16

New Delhi: Projecting a fairly healthy outlook for its finances and over all operations, Air India expects to wipe out some red marks from its balance sheet and become operationally profitable in its budget estimates for the next fiscal.

Indigo, SpiceJet, AirAsia to introduce new flights from Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam:  The Port City will get more air connectivity from March 28 as several airlines plan to introduce their service to various destinations across the country.

Vizag will have eight services to Hyderabad, three services to Chennai, four services to Mumbai and Bengalore, two services to Bhubaneswar and one service each to Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Trivandrum.

India navy plane crashes into sea, 2 missing 1 rescued

Mumbai: A naval aircraft crashed off the western Indian coast leaving two pilots missing, the navy said today, in the latest of a string of accidents which have hit the force.

Rescue operations were underway after the Indian navy’s Dornier aircraft plunged into the sea some 25 nautical miles off the western holiday state of Goa around 10pm local time yesterday.

Bengaluru airport emerges third largest in India

Bengaluru: Within seven years of opening, the Kempegowda International Airport (KIAB), Bengaluru, has emerged South India's busiest airport and third largest in the country.

The airport handled its 15 millionth passenger on March 22, 2015, which marked the graduation of the airport to the mid-sized airport category (15 to 25 million passenger airports) classification, KIAB said in a statement.

Air Costa to add 2 E-190s in 2015

Hyderabad: Vijayawada-based airline Air Costa, which has completed over one year of operations, will be adding two Embraer E-190s to its existing fleet of four aircraft by September as the airline looks to apply for a pan-India licence this April.

DIAL's Malaysian partner to sell entire 10 per cent stake for $79 million

Kuala Lumpur/New Delhi: Malaysia Airports Holdings today announced sale of its entire 10 per cent stake in Delhi International Airport for Rs 492 crore, saying a minority share did not give it any "influence" in the venture.

Hercules has a smooth landing at Juhu

The IAF's Hercules C130J, one of its heavy cargo aircraft, landed and took off safely from the Juhu airport on Tuesday in an exercise planned to test whether its short runway could be used safely for flight operations in the event of an attack on the neighbouring, bigger Mumbai airport.

Surat airport runway to be extended and re-carpeted

Surat: The much-awaited extension of airport runway has gathered steam with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) issuing a tender notice on March 21. AAI has invited tender applications for upgrading the runway at Surat airport from the existing 2,250 metre to 2,905 metre.

Malaysia Airlines MH370: Aviation expert wants Australia to prove plane is in Indian Ocean

A military aviation technology expert has written to the Australian government to debunk its theory that missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is lying in the southern Indian Ocean.

In a letter exclusively obtained by IBTimes UK addressed to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop and Defence Minister David Johnston, Andre Milne, alleges the country's claims surrounding MH370 crashed into the southern Indian Ocean are false and amount to a "criminal act of fabrication of evidence".

AAI to get 8-acre plot for aircraft parking bays

Pune: The Airports Authority of India (AAI), Pune, will receive eight acres of land from the Indian Air Force to develop two additional aircraft parking bays at the city airport.


"The proposal for the additional land, which was submitted to the IAF after the defence minister gave his in-principle nod, is in the final stages and we expect to get the land soon," a senior AAI official told TOI on Tuesday.

Div Com discusses Jammu Airport expansion

Jammu: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr. Pawan Kotwal today chaired a high level meeting to discuss issues pertaining to expansion of Jammu Airport.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Jammu, A.K. Sahu, Assistant Commissioner (C) Sachin Dev Singh besides senior officers of Army, Air Force and civil administration.

Air India appoints KS Reddy as new GM, Commercial

Chennai: National carrier Air India has appointed KS Reddy as General Manager (Commercial), Southern Region, with immediate effect.

Biju Patnaik International Airport, Bhubaneswar to develop an Art Gallery

Bhubaneswar: In an effort to encourage and promote Amateur/Budding Artists, Airports Authority of India, has decided to create/develop an Art Gallery in the Security Hold Area (SHA) of New Domestic Terminal (NDTB-T1), BPI Airport, Bhubaneswar.

Not so safe: 2 bird hits a month at Chennai airport

Bird strikes don`t cause as many air accidents as they used to till a couple of decades ago, thanks to better resilience and back-up mechanisms of aircraft, but they continue to be a risk. And Chennai has had at least two bird hits every month last year. An RTI query by TOI has found that the number of bird hits at Chennai airport rose from 24 in 2010 to 32 in 2013, but dipped to 22 in 2014.

Fasten your seat belts, for a lesson in nerves

New Delhi: Delhi airport will no longer allow first-class and business-class passengers, on either international or domestic routes, to form a separate queue to go through security checks.

The move is the result of a quixotic circular that the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security put out in late February but started implementing this week at the T3 terminal of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.

492 tortoises seized at Trichy airport, 5 arrested

Trichy:  Five passengers, who were about to board a flight to Bangkok from the Trichy international airport were arrested by immigration authorities on Tuesday and 492 spotted black terrapin pond tortoises were seized from them.

ED zeroes in on contacts of chopper case accused

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has zeroed in on some two-dozen local contacts of Christian Michel, a British national accused in the Rs. 3,700-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal bribery case, during its investigation to unearth the money trail.

Airport security check robs flier of mobile phone

New Delhi: In a mysterious case, a mobile phone was stolen while going under the scanner at an X-ray machine installed at Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi Airport. The victim said that his iPhone, which he had kept in his bag's front pocket, could not be found in his bag when it came out of the scanner.

6 held for ‘smuggling’ gold worth Rs 16.5 cr

Ahmedabad: In a major crackdown on a gold smuggling racket allegedly running in Ahmedabad, the Special Operation Group arrested six persons including a woman at the Ahmedabad International Airport on Tuesday and seized 60 kgs of gold worth Rs 16.50 crore. The accused are allegedly agents working for smugglers using Dubai port as base to sneak gold through Ahmedabad into the country.

9 kg cocaine worth Rs 50 cr seized at airport, 3 held

New Delhi: Two Nigerian nationals and a Delhi resident, Ghana national, were arrested on Tuesday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) with 9 kg of cocaine worth approximately Rs 50 crore. Reportedly, this is one of the biggest seizures at the airport.

Gold worth Rs 39 lakh seized from air passenger

Kozhikode: About 1.5 kg of undeclared gold worth Rs 39 lakh was seized from a man who arrived from Dubai at the international airport at Karipur here today, customs officials said.

STA Travel brings new business focused brand to market

STA Travel has unveiled STA Travel Business, a new brand targeting young business travellers.

This is the first time the company has targeted business travellers direct, however it has had a B2B business travel arm for more than 15 years.

Harriet Kerr, business development director said: “We’ve worked in this sphere behind the scenes for some time, and in recent years we’ve noticed, not only a surge in younger people making business trips, but also a shift in the sorts of travel they’re booking.

“Recent research has shown that 69 per cent of business travellers between 18 and 35 years’ old will add a leisure element to a business trip, and it’s here that STA Travel can really make a difference

Hotel Pulitzer in Amsterdam to undergo renovation

Amsterdam’s famed Hotel Pulitzer, a historic hotel of 25 canal houses with over 400 years of heritage, is to join the Preferred Hotels & Resorts LVX Collection from April 2015. 

In addition, the 230 room property is to undergo a phased renovation from late April, bringing back a quintessential Dutch elegance and style to the hotel.

Blending modern and traditional influences, the design concept is inspired by a contemporary twist on the elegant gables of Amsterdam’s canal houses, which give the city its unique skyline and architecture

Hilton Huanying expanded to greet Chinese travellers globally

Hilton Worldwide has announced the expansion of Hilton Huanying (huān yίng) – a program that offers Chinese travellers a customised hospitality experience during their stay – to more than 110 Hilton Worldwide properties globally.

Hainan Airlines brings first commercial biofuel flight to China

Boeing, Hainan Airlines and Sinopec have celebrated China’s first passenger flight with sustainable aviation biofuel, a key environmental milestone for China’s commercial aviation industry.

The regularly scheduled Hainan Airlines flight – which carried more than 100 passengers from Shanghai to Beijing in a Next-Generation 737-800 – used biofuel made by Sinopec from waste cooking oil collected from restaurants in China.

Both of the airplane’s CFM International CFM56-7B engines were powered by a fuel blend of approximately 50 per cent aviation biofuel mixed with conventional petroleum jet fuel.

Germanwings flight crashes in south of France

An Airbus A320 operated by Germanwings has crashed in the French Alps with 142 passengers and six crew on board.

The aircraft came down between Barcelonnette and Digne in southern France, on route from Barcelona to Düsseldorf.

Speaking to the nation shortly after the incident French president Francois Hollande said: “The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors.

Qatar Airways confirms new Zanzibar flights from July

Qatar Airways will launch flights to Zanzibar, the airline’s third gateway in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro.

From July 1st, the new five-times-a-week flight to Zanzibar will operate via Kilimanjaro.

The current Kilimanjaro flights which today are served by Qatar Airways via Dar es Salaam will be made non-stop from Doha to Kilimanjaro, with return flights from Kilimanjaro to Doha served via Zanzibar

WTTC: Tourism growth set to outpace global economy in 2015

Tourism will demonstrate its enduring ability to create jobs and prosperity for the global economy in 2015 with the sector forecast to grow by 3.7 per cent, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Every year, WTTC forecasts the economic impact of the tourism sector in 184 countries and 24 regions.

For 2015, these forecasts show a sector that is again growing strongly, creating jobs and driving growth

Breaking Travel News investigates: Hyatt Rose Hall, Jamaica

Playa Hotels & Resorts is nothing if not confident.

Taking over the site of the former Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, the owner, operator and developer launched Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall to market in late 2014.

Situated next to the closed Palmyra Rose Hall Resort, sceptics might question the wisdom of the move in the current climate.

But as Playa Hotels chief executive, Bruce Wardinski, tells Breaking Travel News: “We can look at the Ritz Carlton, which failed, and Palmyra, which failed, and question our ambitions here.

Air Pegasus to launch flight services to Hubballi soon

Hubballi: Even as SpiceJet is yet to resume flight services to Hubballi after the recent accident, Air Pegaus, another low cost airline, is getting ready to launch its services to the city.

As the SpiceJet aircraft was badly damaged and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation authorities had to hold an inquiry into the mishap, the flight services were temporarily suspended and Spicejet is operating its flights from Belagavi Airport.

Privatisation of airports: Govt postpones bid submission deadline

New Delhi: The ministry of civil aviation has pushed back by two months the deadline for submitting bids for award of operations, management and development contracts of airports at Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur and Ahmedabad to private parties due to human resources-related issues.

AAI staff issue holding up airport privatisation

New Delhi: Privatisation of airports at Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur and Kolkata had been delayed by furore over the future of the 2,000-odd Airports Authority of India (AAI) employees who worked in these, RK Srivastava, the authority's chairman, said on Monday.

Airports privatisaion: 'Government wants to address HR issues first'

New Delhi: Government had to push the bidding date for privatisation of four AAI-run airports as it wanted to address human resources issues first before they go into the private hands, even as the whole process was on fast track, a top AAI official said on Monday.

AirAsia offers 3 million seats at discounted prices

New Delhi: In one of the biggest discounted sale offers, Malaysian carrier AirAsia today put three million (30 lakh) seats up for grab for destinations, including India.

Next aviation war likely in foreign sector

New Delhi: The next aviation war among the domestic carriers could be fought on the international sector with the current tailwinds for revenues and profits blowing in that direction.

Consider this: In the third quarter of fiscal 2015, Jet Airways's domestic revenue grew 6.8% over the same quarter last year to Rs 2,113.7 crore while its international revenue grew at more than twice that speed of 17.4% to Rs 3,089.9 crore during the same period.

Fired for smuggling, Jet staffer returns to work at T2

Mumbai: A ground staffer who had been previously fired and expelled from Mumbai airport for his involvement in gold smuggling, was found working at the international terminal of the airport recently. The man in question was found working as a duty manager handling sensitive flights of Air India and Emirates, raising concerns about security at the airport.

SpiceJet urges HC to direct DGCA not to deregister its planes

New Delhi:  SpiceJet on Monday moved Delhi high court seeking orders to DGCA not to de-register its six aircraft leased from two foreign firms, saying it has arrived at a settlement with one and was in process of settling with the other.

Jet Airways, Air India to shift domestic ops to Mumbai airport’s T2 by December

Mumbai: Mumbai’s Santa Cruz terminal, which currently hosts most of the domestic flights, will cater only to low-cost carriers such as Indigo, SpiceJet and GoAir once full-service carriers like Jet Airways and national carrier Air India shift domestic operations to terminal 2 (T2) by December.

Oil price drop fails to boost AI revenues; firm may miss targets

New Delhi: Despite the steep fall in crude prices, Air India is unlikely to meet its Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) target of Rs 1,150 crore for the current financial year.

Indian start-up, FlyEasy, to use E190s for summer launch

Bangalore: Fly Easy has revised its plans with a summer launch now on the cards.

AirAsia, Spicejet, GoAir, others flash sales power Cleartrip bookings via mobile phones

New Delhi: A spate of flash sales by airlines like AirAsia, Spicejet, GoAir and others have become the new dominant drivers for travellers making impulse bookings from mobile phones, a Cleartrip study for bookings made on 21st and 22nd March 2015, showed.
The recent GoAir flash sale, along with a Cleartrip Hotels flash sale, recorded a huge spike in bookings on Cleartrip Mobile, selling three times the number of flights than what it usually does during the non-sale weekends.

Air India revenues: Airline may miss Rs 1,150 crore target despite steep fall in oil price

New Delhi: Despite the steep fall in crude prices, Air India is unlikely to meet its Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) target of Rs 1,150 crore for the current financial year.
The airline has registered a shortfall of around Rs 1,500 crore in operating revenues for the nine months ended December 31, 2015. Operational expenses have, at the same time, soared to Rs 16,700 crore leaving the airline with an operational loss of around Rs 1,700 crore.

Hercules to land at Juhu air-strip today in test drill

Mumbai: At 1.30 pm today, a Hercules C-130J, one of the largest cargo carriers in the world, will land at the Juhu aerodrome, which operates only helicopters and small aircraft.

The brief landing, sources told Mirror, will be carried out by the Indian Air Force as part of a terror preparedness exercise.

Government wants AAI to improve airport for investors’ meet

Chennai: The Global Investors' Meet is only two months away, and the state is worried about the first impression the visitors may get at the airport. Delegates from Japan, South Korea, the USA, the UK, France and Germany are expected to take part in the meet on May 23 and 24.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport crosses the 10 million passenger mark

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad on March 23 achieved a significant milestone by clocking 10 million passengers in one year. This achievement coincides with RGIA’s seventh anniversary which falls on 23rd March.

Ms. Bhanu Khannan arrived from a Chennai bound flight emerged as the 10th million passenger at RGIA today evening.

CIAL duty-free sales to touch Rs.165 crore

Kochi: On the back of a sharp rise in the international traffic through the airport here, the business of airport retailing at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is set to scale new heights with total income from the sector set to cross Rs. 165 crore this fiscal.

TN Should Press Centre to Include Madurai in Foreign Airline Services: FICCI

Madurai: In the wake of the Union Civil Aviation Ministry's proposal barring new domestic airlines to operate on the international routes that are less than six hours of journey from Indian cities, FICCI has urged the State government to press the Union Government to include the Madurai Airport in the Bi-lateral Airport Treaties with countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Kuwait and Thailand.

Govt yet to decide on purchase of Japanese amphibious craft

New Delhi: Even as  defence minister Manohar Parrikar is heading on his first foreign trip later this month to Japan, followed by South Korea, the government has informed the Lok Sabha that no decision has been taken yet on the purchase of Japanese long-range 12 US-2i aircraft for the Navy for around $1.65 billion.

GMR Holdings to pick 89.17% of GMR Infra’s rights issue

Hyderabad: GMR Infrastructure Ltd. on Monday said parent company GMR Holdings Pvt Ltd has made arrangements of Rs.1,250 crore for subscribing to its rights issue. The promoter holding company has “completed necessary financing arrangements to the extent of Rs.1,250 crore,” GMR Infrastructure, whose rights issue opens on March 24, said in a regulatory filing to BSE.

Baggage kiosks set to cut airport check-in queues

New Delhi: Standing in serpentine queues at check-in counters will soon be history for domestic air travellers. The government has asked airport operators to have kiosks where passengers can on their own drop in their check-in bags by filling details and putting up labels.

Special Canopy at Tiruchirapalli Airport to Protect Perishable Export Items

Tiruchirapalli: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is planning to install a special canopy at the airport in Tiruchirapalli to help protect perishable export items like fruits and flowers from rains.

New proposal of Civil Aviation Ministry to hit Madurai airport

Madurai: Madurai airport will be hit hard by the Civil Aviation Ministry’s new proposal not to allow any new domestic airline to operate on international routes which are less than six hours of journey duration from Indian cities.

ISO tag for Mangalore airport

Mangalore: Mangalore International Airport Ltd has been recertified for ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001: 2007 for three years from March 11 2015 to March 10 2018.

Market shift plan to keep birds at bay

Bhubaneswar: Civic authorities will shift the Sundarpada Haat (market) to make the surroundings of Biju Patnaik International Airport cleaner - a step to reduce the bird-hit incidents.

New int’l arrival hall to be opened soon

Chennai: The arrival hall of the new international terminal that has been gathering dust for two years now may soon be opened to the public.

Though new terminals of the Chennai airport were inaugurated in January 2013 and thrown open to the public months later, the arrival hall of the new international terminal remained shut.

Passenger movement dips at Bhopal airport

Indore: Raja Bhoj International Airport, Bhopal showed a decline in passenger traffic by -11.2% between April 2014 and January 2015. On the other hand, Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport, Indore registered a 19.4% growth in passenger movement and topped the list of 15 non-metro domestic airports in the country.

Beware flyers! even airports are not theft-free, proves CISF

New Delhi: If you are gullible, you may be taken for a ride even at the airport. Not even a security appartus will come to your aid to identify the thief on air. CISF has busted such a gang, comprising of members who pose as genuine flyers may grab a seat next to you and would be gone with your baggage in no time.

Airlines seek more lenient norms to fly abroad

New Delhi: India's airlines appear to have dropped their opposition to scrapping the current norms for operating international flights and have sought greater leniency in the proposed system of earning domestic flying credits to determine eligibility to fly overseas.
Resistance by Jet Airways Indigo, SpiceJet and Air India to the removal of the eligibility norms to fly abroad seems to have died out.

India will have a new airline soon—and God’s own country will own it

India’s fiercely competitive aviation industry will soon have a new airline.
But there isn’t a foreign carrier or a business conglomerate involved this time around. Rather, Air Kerala will be owned by the south Indian state of Kerala, also known as “God’s own country” because of its natural beauty.

Intra-state air services to take off in April first week

Lucknow:  The much awaited intra-state air services project may finally be ready for a take off in UP. North-East Shuttle, the lone air service company that has evinced interest in the project, has been granted clearance by Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Airport Authority of India (AAI). The company is also set to open its office in Lucknow.

Now, AirAsia India Announces an All-In Rs 550 Offer

In a fresh round of fare cut, budget carrier AirAsia India has rolled out a promotional offer. Under this scheme, all-inclusive tickets are priced from Rs 550.

The AirAsia India offer is open till March 29, 2015, and is applicable for travel period between September 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016.

Pilot-trouble hits Jet Airways again

New Delhi: Trouble is brewing again in private carrier Jet Airways as some of its subsidiary airline JetLite’s pilots have quit, serving notices to the management alleging change in service conditions.

Air India pilots slam DGCA over duty timing

Mumbai: After an Air India (AI) pilot was pulled up for reaching the cockpit one minute late, pilots on Sunday complained that the system to ascertain their reporting time is flawed. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had issued a notice to AI pilot captain R Rana on Wednesday demanding an explanation for reaching a minute late.

PMO seeks performance report from Air India

New Delhi: Concerned over the overall health of Air India, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the national carrier to submit a detailed performance report on its losses, profitability and revival plan.

CISF men bust gang of flying thieves, gang could be a part of larger network

New Delhi: Nationwide crackdown on thieves by the Central Industrial Police Force (CISF), which is handling airport security, has revealed that a massive network of gangs is responsible for over a dozen high-profile thefts at major airports recently.

There is huge potential in the Indian market: Lufthansa

New Delhi: Germany's Lufthansa says it might go ahead and launch its Airbus A-380 services between Mumbai and Frankfurt in its 2015 winter schedule because of the "huge potential" in the Indian market.

AirAsia CEO not happy with PM Modi

Hyderabad: AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes has expressed his disappointment with the Narendra Modi government as he feels that nothing much has been done to open up India’s huge aviation market. “India has a huge aviation market.

Airlines hike fares for Australia with India entering semifinal of ICC World Cup

New Delhi: With the defending champions India set to take on Australia in the second semi-final of the 2015 ICC World Cup at Sydney on Thursday, airlines have hiked their fares substantially for Down Under.

Vistara adds sixth plane

Vistara announced the induction of its sixth Airbus A320 aircraft on Sunday. The Tata-Singapore Airlines joint venture began service in January from its Delhi base.

SpiceJet says deal entered with aircraft lessor for dues

New Delhi: SpiceJet on Monday said it has signed a deal with one of its aircraft lessors over the payment of dues, after the Supreme Court last week ordered six such planes to be de-registered by the civil aviation regulator.

SpiceJet turmoil is far from over

Low-cost airline SpiceJet’s woes do not seem to be over as yet. Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin), one of the two Irish leasing firms that took the airline to court and won the case in its favour, has also initiated proceedings in a London court for taking back their aircraft.

Indigo introducing daily afternoon service between Bhubaneswar, Kolkata

Bhubaneswar: Airports Authority of India, Bhubaneswar Airport, in its continuous endeavour to provide enhanced services to its passengers and stake holders, is pleased to inform that starting 15th April, 2015, passengers travelling to/from Bhubaneswar from/to Kolkata are in for a surprise.

Amid stalled fighter projects, upgraded Mirage cheers IAF

New Delhi:  Faced with huge delays in clinching new fighter projects even as it grapples with fast-eroding air combat power, IAF finally has some reason to cheer. The force will get its first two upgraded Mirage-2000 fighters with new avionics and weapons this week.

Air Asia keen to foray into Indian insurance sector

Hyderabad: Air Asia Bhd, the Malaysia-based conglomerate with interests in aviation, financial services and hospitality is actively considering its foray into the Indian insurance sector.

"We are talking to key players in the market and our plans are very much on", said Tony Fernandes, one of the founders of the conglomerate.

VIPs at Chennai airport keep common man at bay

Chennai: All passengers coming out of the domestic arrival gate at Chennai airport are not 'equal'.

For more than a year, 'ordinary' passengers have not been able to board taxis or cars on the lane in front of the arrival section. The sprawling lane is reserved for "key" government functionaries and those connected to them.

A million arrivals at Bagdogra airport

Siliguri: Officials of the Bagdogra Airport on Saturday held a ceremonial programme to mark the arrival of the one millionth passenger at the terminal for the current financial year.

5 months after Sukhoi crash, farmers to get compensated

Pune: Farmers in Kolwadi village finally see some hope for compensation, five months after an Indian Air Force Sukhoi 30 MKI crashed into their sugarcane fields while on a routine training exercise on October 14 last year.

IAF all set to raise first squadron of indigenous fighter Tejas

New Delhi: With its fighter squadron strength dwindling and finalisation of medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) still eluding, the Indian Air Force has sped up its plan to raise the first squadron of indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) Tejas. Sources in the Defence Ministry told UNI that the IAF was planning to raise the first squadron of the aircraft by next year after getting the delivery of at least six Tejas in the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) configuration.

MoT sanctions Rs 50 cr for Puri Rath Yatra

The Union Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned an amount of Rs 50 crore for the Nabakalebar Rath Yatra Festival in Puri, Odisha. Announcing this at a high-level meeting of officials in Bhubaneswar on March 21, the Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge), Culture (Independent Charge) and Civil Aviation, Dr Mahesh Sharma said the funds have been sanctioned under the newly launched scheme ‘PRASAD’ of the Ministry of Tourism. The Union Petroleum Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan; Tourism and Culture Minister of Orissa, Ashok Chandra Panda, and Chief Secretary of Orissa were among those present at the meeting. Dr Sharma said that a museum is being set up by the Ministry of Culture at Lalitgiri.

Sterling Resorts launches ‘Save the Sparrow’ initiative

Sterling Holiday Resorts, India’s leading Leisure Hospitality and Vacation Ownership company, has launched a unique edutainment program at its resorts in an effort to contribute to save the sparrow from going extinct. Sterling’s ‘Save the Sparrow’ initiative is a part of the Company’s ongoing effort to be eco-friendly. Other initiatives include encouraging Sterling’s guests and members to help in water conservation and in maintaining a clean environment. Sterling is also actively taking part in the nationwide Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign through monthly cleanliness drives in the vicinity of all its resorts and offices

Thomas Cook launches ‘Weekend Beyond Borders’

Thomas Cook (India) has launched ‘Weekend Beyond Borders’ for travellers to make the most of this year’s 13 long weekends with 13 hand-picked international destinations. The destinations, which offer simple visa formalities, include Turkey, Thailand, Mauritius, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Jordon, Seychelles, Hong Kong, Oman, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Indonesia, as per a release. The packages a priced at minimum Rs 7,500 (land package, per person on twin share). Moreover, the holiday will be delivered in 48 hours prior to departure, the company states in the release. Shibani Phadkar, Senior Vice President & Head – Leisure Travel Outbound, Products, Contracting,

IHG strengthens Australasia team with new appointment

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Ruwan Peiris as Regional General Manager for New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Victoria. In his new role, Ruwan will be responsible for the management of thirteen IHG hotels, the National Convention Centre Canberra and Parliament House Catering by IHG.

Ruwan, who holds an Associate Diploma in Hotel Management, joins IHG with over 20 years of experience in Australia’s hospitality industry. He was most recently Area General Manager with Accor Hotels, where he was responsible for the operational performance of hotels across New South Wales, the ACT and the company’s properties in Darling Harbour. During that time Ruwan also played a key role in integrating Mirvac Hotels & Resorts into the group whilst driving the company’s reputational growth on a national level

Autograph Collection launches in Switzerland

Autograph Collection is launching Kameha Grand Zurich. The 245-room hotel showcases a sophisticated fusion of architecture, unique structure, mixed materials and colour, designed by Marcel Wanders.

The innovative techniques and playful elements of Wanders’ design concept for the hotel pay homage to Swiss culture. Eleven individually-themed suites include an extravagant Poker Face Suite fitted with roulette tables and Kameha poker cards and a luxurious Serenity Suite appointed with yoga and wellness accessories to foster a sense of tranquility and wellbeing

Starwood strengthens Latin America portfolio

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has signed an agreement with GH Pegasus to open Aloft Tijuana, Aloft Coatzacoalcos and Aloft Poza Rica by the end of 2017, and an agreement with Hoteles Real Chihuahua to unveil the Sheraton Chihuahua Soberano Hotel, a strategic conversion, by November 2015.

With these new signings, Starwood will further strengthen its footprint across Latin America and Caribbean while significantly bolstering its presence in Mexico, the largest market for the company in the region.

Eurowings expands long-haul routes

The new Eurowings is further expanding its long-haul routes. Starting this winter, Eurowings customers will be able to fly to another attractive long-haul destination. The first flight from Cologne to Puerto Plata in the Caribbean will take off on 7 November 2015.

Flights will depart from Cologne once a week, on Saturdays. Tickets are already available from € 229.99

Etihad Airways makes new appointments

Etihad Airways has made new key appointments within its commercial division which will support the airline’s growth and expansion plans. 

Amer Khan has been appointed to the position of Regional General Manager for Middle East and North Africa, responsible for managing Etihad Airways’ commercial operations across 16 countries from the airline’s base in Abu Dhabi. With more than 14 years’ experience in the travel industry, he joined Etihad Airways in 2009 as Country Manager in Pakistan, and moved onto the role of Area General Manager for Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Amer began his career with South African Airways in the UK before moving onto American Airlines where he served as the Regional Manager for the Middle East and Pakistan based in the UK and UAE.

Jetblue steps up Caribbean services

JetBlue Airways plans to offer its Mint experience from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Barbados (BGI) and Aruba (AUA), two of its most popular Caribbean routes.

The new seasonal service begins in November and is available for booking on JetBlue.com.

Since launching on transcontinental routes in June 2014, Mint has quickly become recognized for its private suites, the widest seat and longest fully-flat bed in the U.S. domestic market, tapas-style dining, custom amenity kits and 15-inch flat screen televisions with free entertainment.

Grosvenor House Apartments in wellness focus

Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living is launching three new wellness packages to offer guests the ultimate healthy living retreat while staying in London. The packages are themed around fitness, relaxation and recuperation.

The wellness programmes have been put together by Grosvenor House Apartments’ trainer-in-residence Kathryn Tilbury, who has over ten years’ experience in the fitness industry and has worked in some of London’s most prestigious gyms. Also known as Grosvenor House Apartments’ ‘fitness concierge,’ Kathryn assists residents with everything from specialist back pain and injury care to post-natal recovery exercises and expert fitness training

GoAir Offers Discount on Fares, Lowest at Rs 999

New Delhi: In a fresh round of fare cut, budget carrier GoAir on Saturday rolled out a limited period low fares scheme, offering one way ticket prices as low as Rs 999 with a more than four months validity period for travel across its network.

After SpiceJet, Jet Airways Offers Discounts on International Routes

Budget carrier SpiceJet has triggered a airfare war yet again, however this time on international skies.
Domestic carrier Jet Airways on Saturday introduced a new scheme, offering up to 25 per cent discount on premiere and economy fares from India to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Spicejet scraps extended flying hours of pilots after DGCA rap

Mumbai: Spicejet on Wednesday put an end to the practice of split-duty, where pilots take rest between flights that are separated by a time lesser than the minimum rest period prescribed by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

Are Crews Prepared for a Mid-Air Crisis?

Chennai: Medical emergencies occurring when you’re closer to the heavens than the ground, aren’t a rarity anymore. With the burst in Indian aviation and low cost flying, more people are taking to the skies - exponentially increasing the possibility of having a mid-air emergency.

New NIFT-designed uniform shabby- AI crew

Mumbai: The national carrier spent around Rs 8 crore in dressing up its 18,000 cabin crew members. The uniform was designed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

Panel to give one more try for Karipur

Malappuram: The State Haj Committee will make one last attempt with the Central government to get the Karipur airport for this year’s Haj operations from the State. A meeting of the Haj Committee held at Karipur on Saturday decided to give it one more try at the highest level in Delhi to get the Karipur airport for Haj operations.