GoAir announces expansion of services to United Arab Emirates

Budget carrier GoAir on Thursday announced expansion of its services to the UAE with launch of new flights to Sharjah from Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi and Kannur.

These flights will start from Friday.

Currently, flights to the UAE are operated under an Air Bubble Agreement since international commercial flights to and from India remain suspended from March 23 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

It has flights to Dubai in the UAE.

GoAir is commencing scheduled direct flights to and from Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, and Kannur to Sharjah under the Air Bubble Agreement effective January 1, it said in a release.

The flight schedule on India-Sharjah route is designed to provide convenience and flexibility to the passengers, it added.

"We have seen an enthusiastic response from our passengers travelling between India and the UAE, and there is immense pent-up demand on the said route. This has encouraged us to strengthen the network by adding these services between India and Sharjah," the airline's CEO Kaushik Khona said.

The airline is offering a special introductory return fare, starting at Rs 11,560 for the flights on IndiaSharjah sector.

31/12/20 PTI/Business Standard

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225 co-flyers of infected man to undergo RT-PCR

Kolkata: The Bengal government will conduct fresh RT-PCR tests for all the 225 passengers who landed in Kolkata by the same Air India direct flight from the UK as the man in his late 30s, who had been detected with the new UK strain of the novel coronavirus, a senior state official said on Wednesday.

Among those travellers, 46 flyers, who either sat in close proximity of the infected person for over nine hours on the flight or waited with him at the old terminal in Kolkata to get their RT-PCR test results, will continue to remain under watch even if their Covid test reports came negative. They have been asked to strictly abide by home quarantine measures and contact the health department at the slightest sign of developing Covid-like symptoms.

The man, who is believed to have contracted the new strain of the virus in the UK, had arrived in Kolkata on December 20.

Of the 226 passengers travelling on that flight, 26 had not got Covid tests done in the UK and underwent RT-PCR tests on arrival. Two among them were found to be Covid-19 positive. While one of them had the normal strain that has already infected millions across the world, the other had the UK strain that has been detected only recently and has led to renewed lockdowns in the country. “The passenger with the UK stain of the novel coronavirus was travelling in Seat 28-J, which is a window seat. That is a stroke of luck because only passengers seated in the right row may have been infected and need to be carefully monitored. Had he travelled in the middle row, the situation would have been more complicated,” an official said. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body aircraft with twin aisles and nine seats split into three pairs in each row. They are numbered A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H and J.

From the passenger manifest, the health department has identified flyers seated in rows 25 to 31. In each row, passengers in seats F, G, H and J, or 27 passengers, will be cautioned to stay in home quarantine and monitor their health. Also, 25 people in addition to the infected flyer, who had undergone RT-PCR tests and spent several hours together in the confined space of a terminal, will be alerted.

31/12/20 Subhro Niyogi/Times of India

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Air India first direct flight between Bengaluru and San Francisco from Jan 11

Air India will commence non-stop flights from Bengaluru to San Francisco starting from January 11, 2021.

The flight AI-175 from Bengaluru to San Francisco will operate with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft on Mondays and Thursdays, according to Air India. The flight will depart Bengaluru at 2.30 pm and arrive in San Francisco at 5 pm local time on the same day.

The new non-stop service is expected to meet the demand of corporate customers for travel to San Francisco and adjoining areas in the US. “Passengers from Bengaluru will enjoy huge benefits travelling to San Francisco as this will enable faster and easier connections,” Air India said in a statement.

The return flight AI-176 from San Francisco to Bengaluru will operate on Saturdays and Tuesdays, leaving San Francisco at 8.30 pm (local time) to arrive in Bengaluru at 2.30 am+1 hours.

Bengaluru and San Francisco are ranked first and second, respectively, among the World’s top 45 digitally advanced cities.

At present, Air India operates non-stop flights from Delhi to New York, Newark, Washington, San Francisco and Chicago and from Mumbai to Newark.

31/12/20 Indian Express

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Air India to operate direct flights from the south to San Francisco, Chicago

Mumbai: Air India has announced that it would start a non-stop service between Bengaluru and San Francisco, and between Hyderabad and Chicago from January 9 and 13 respectively.

The flight AI-175 from Bengaluru will operate with a Boeing 777-200LR aircraft twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays departing from Bengaluru at 1430 hrs to arrive in San Francisco at 1700 hrs (local time) on the same day.

The return flight AI-176 from San Francisco will operate on Saturdays and Tuesdays leaving San Francisco at 2030 hrs(local time) to arrive in Bengaluru at 0230+1 hrs.

The flight AI-107 from Hyderabad will operate every Friday, departing at 1250 hrs to arrive in Chicago at 1805 hrs (local time) on the same day.

The return flight AI-108 from Chicago will operate every Wednesday, leaving Chicago at 2130 hrs (local time) to arrive in Hyderabad at 0040 +1 hrs by Boeing 777LR aircraft.

“Passengers from Bengaluru and Hyderabad will enjoy huge benefits travelling to San Francisco and Chicago as this will enable faster and easier connections,” Air India said in a statement.

At present, Air India operates non-stop flights from Delhi to New York, Newark, Washington, San Francisco and Chicago and from Mumbai to Newark.

30/12/20 The Hindu

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Kolkata flyer from London tests positive for mutated virus

Kolkata: A city-based UK professional, who flew back home from London on an Air India flight on December 20 and tested Covid-positive on arrival, has the mutated UK strain of the virus, the Kalyani-based National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBG) informed the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Bengal government late on Tuesday.

“The results have been shared with NCDC and West Bengal government. One RNA sample showed 17 mutations specific to the UK Covid strains,” NIBG director Saumitra Das told TOI.

The professional, in his late 30s, is completely asymptomatic. “He does not need any specialised treatment,” said an official at Medical College Hospital, Kolkata.

Bengal health department officials on Wednesday held a meeting with experts and decided to immediately conduct fresh RT-PCR tests on all 225 other passengers who had flown into Kolkata on the same flight, which had taken off from Heathrow on December 19 and touched down in Kolkata on December 20. All passengers are in home quarantine. The reports will be sent to NCDC.

The airline has already got the cabin and cockpit crew of flight AI 1150 tested for Cov-id. All of them have tested negative.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, sources said, has stressed that the matter should be dealt with in due seriousness. Chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay, too, issued a reminder about the need to celebrate the New Year in a guarded way. “Let us be careful and help navigate the year-end festivals safely,” he said.

Das, the NIBG director, said: “At this point, while we must be very cautious, I would like to reiterate that there is no experimental evidence other than epidemiological and mathematical research models on the implications of these mutations. This is also the issue with disease severity. Further research with the mutated strain is needed to understand the functional implications better. So, it is too early to conclusively say anything.”

A official at Medical College Hospital, Kolkata, spelt out the measures that have been taken. “The patient has been kept in isolation in a single cabin right from day one. He does not have any symptoms, and therefore, needs no specialised treatment. However, doctors will continue to keep him under close monitoring. For now, he will remain in hospital isolation. He would undergo an RT-PCR test in about a week’s time. If he is found negative, we will inform Swasthya Bhawan. We will then take a decision on his discharge according to the SOPs issued by Swasthya Bhawan officials.”

31/12/20 Times of India

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United Airlines has launched a daily, nonstop Delhi-Chicago flight, thus connecting the Indian capital to three major American cities

United Airlines launched a Delhi-Chicago nonstop flight, seamlessly connecting the Indian capital to three American cities.

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will operate between the Indira Gandhi International Airport, at Delhi and O’Hare International Airport, Chicago. The O’ Hare International Airport is the hometown hub of the airline.

The daily non-stop service between Delhi and Chicago O’Hare hub is a new flight that is aimed at strengthening the network between India and America. It will also facilitate travellers from either of the two destinations, an easy travel choice of flying non-stop between the two countries.

The flight has the Polaris business class service provided by the United Airlines which comes with special flat-bed seats.

Until now, United Airlines had flights connecting New York with Delhi and Mumbai, and San Francisco with Delhi, but with the inauguration of the Delhi-Chicago flight route, four nonstop flights will operate regularly from India.

A daily non-stop service between San Francisco-Bengaluru is also being worked upon, and will begin from May 8, 2021. This will be the first air service between Bengaluru and the United States.

31/12/20 Outlook

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Indian students in UK request Indian govt to consider emergency travel options during lockdown

Indian student groups in the UK on Wednesday urged the Indian government to consider emergency travel options in extremely exceptional cases during the current suspension of air travel imposed to try and block out a fast-spreading mutant strain of coronavirus detected in Britain. As the Union Civil Aviation ministry announced that the suspension will be extended by another week until January 7, the groups sought some emergency intervention after being contacted by individuals desperate to get to India due to a family crisis or bereavement.

"I hope this time emergency travel arrangements can be made for Indian travellers with a family member critically ill or just passed away. I've seen first-hand the plight of those unable to travel due to bans – another just last week," said Sanam Arora, Chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK), a representative group for Indian students in the UK. "I'm in desperate need of help for flying to India from the UK. My mom is very critical and it is imperative for me to (be) able to fly to Bangalore," said Netal, one of those affected, in a Twitter plea to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and other senior Indian ministers.

"Urging MEA India to please help!!! There have to (be) exceptions to the rule," she said. NISAU-UK has also issued an advisory for Indian students hoping to start an academic term in the New Year and confirmed that under UK Home Office rules, their applicability for the new Graduate or post-study work visa will not be impacted adversely.

"If students are required to either continue their current studies or commence a new course by distance or blended learning due to COVID-19, they will still be eligible to switch into the Graduate route on a concessionary basis if they spent some time studying outside the UK," the advisory notes. "Students who are completing their course in summer 2021, including those who commenced a one-year Masters programme in September 2020, will benefit from this concession if they enter the UK on or before April 6, 2021 and complete the final semester of their studies in the UK," it adds.

31/12/20 Edex Live

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Air India to Commence New Services to the U.S. from January 2021

New Delhi: National carrier Air India is all set to expand its services to the United States from January 2021.

Accordingly, the airline will commence its first-ever non-stop services between Bengaluru and San Francisco as well as between Hyderabad and Chicago from January 9, 2021 and January 13, 2021, respectively.

“Passengers from Bengaluru and Hyderabad - both gateways to South India - will enjoy huge benefits travelling to San Francisco and Chicago as this will enable faster and easier connections,” the airline said in a statement.

At present, Air India operates non-stop flights from Delhi to New York, Newark, Washington, San Francisco and Chicago and from Mumbai to Newark.

30/12/20 India West

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Till Jan 7: No flight from UK to land in India

New Delhi: The Centre has decided to extend the suspension on flights to and from the UK till January 7 in the wake of the spread of the new fast-moving strain of the coronavirus mutant. Till Wednesday the Union Health Ministry logged 20 cases in India of the variant. Initial decision on suspension was till December 31. However, in the wake of samples increasing for the variant strain, a new decision was taken.

“Decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to & from the UK till 7 January 2021,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a tweet on Wednesday.

“Thereafter strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details will be announced shortly,” he added. The move comes a day after Puri said that a slight extension of the temporary suspension of UK flights beyond December 31 can be expected. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the minister said that over 60 flights per week were being operated between UK and India prior to the suspension.

“I foresee a slight extension of the temporary suspension because we are getting a fuller picture of what has happened. I don’t expect the extension to be a long or indefinite extension,” Puri had said.

30/12/20 India Post

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Coimbatore: Man who flew into city via London from Spain tests positive for Covid-19

Coimbatore: A 27-year-old man who flew into the city via London from Spain on December 26 has tested positive for Covid-19. He had a 10-hour layover at Heathrow Airport.

Since he is asymptomatic, he has been quarantined in a separate ward at ESI Hospital. On Wednesday, a fresh nasal swab was taken to confirm whether he has been infected by the new UK strain. The nasal swab has been sent to the state public health laboratory at Teynampet, Chennai.

The man, a navigation engineer by profession, flew from Gibraltar in Spain to Dubai via London on December 22. In London, he had a 10-hour layover at Heathrow airport. He stayed in Dubai for two days and flew to Mumbai on December 25 and from there reached Coimbatore on December 26.

“The nasal swab taken by us at the airport on December 26 returned positive on December 28. Since then, he has been admitted in a separate ward at ESI Hospital,” deputy director of public health G Ramesh Kumar said. “He is asymptomatic so far,” he added.

Officials immediately tested his three family members who stayed with him from December 26 to 28, but all tested negative. They are trying to trace the cab driver who drove him home from the airport. “The state government has asked us to send a fresh nasal swab to Chennai to confirm whether it is the new strain,” an official said.

The arrvial of this passenger points to loopholes in our system, despite banning flights from the UK. “They come to Dubai and book a fresh ticket to India and fly in. With so many stamps on some passports, it is hard to spot a recent UK stamp on it,” an official said.

30/12/20 Pratiksha Ramkumar/Times of India

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Tata’s aviation web grows as AirAsia’s shrinks

The AirAsia web of global airlines continues to contract. The Japanese outpost halted operations earlier this year and the long-haul AirAsia X group could be forced to slash its A330neo order book in the face of massive debt and restructuring challenges. In India the operation, a partnership with Tata Group, also faces pressures and the parent operation is not keen to invest further. By all accounts AirAsia India is on the road to divorce itself from the ASEAN brand.

Reports in the Times of India suggest that the 49% stake in the partnership held by AirAsia Group will be reduced to just 13% while Tata Group invests the necessary capital to increase its stake. And while the operations will continue to use the AirAsia branding and other shared resources for now, that is not part of the long term plan for the airline.

TOI reports that Tata Group is spinning up a dedicated website for retail sales and another set of systems to manage crew scheduling for the AirAsia India brand, with a goal of separating them from the AirAsia back-office systems in the coming years.

Tata is also a leading contender for the privatization of Air India, nearly 70 years after the company sold the airline to the government. And it is potentially using the AirAsia India operations to facilitate that bid. Or maybe not.

There’s also the stake Tata holds in Vistara, shared with Singapore Airlines. That pair will not be the driving force towards an Air India deal as Singapore Airlines is not in a position to stump the additional cash required. It is dealing with its own financial catastrophe at home.

And there is no guarantee the privatization plan comes to fruition.

28/12/20 Seth Miller/Paxex.aero

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Maldivian seaplane lands in Minicoy, a historic first

A seaplane of the country's national carrier, Maldivian, landed in Minicoy island as part of Spice Jet's efforts to establish a seaplane travel service in neighbouring India.

Maldivian Aero revealed via twitter that one of its seaplanes had travelled to Maliku islands as part of a chartered flight to Ahmedabad on Monday.

Noting that this was a historic moment, Maldivian Aero said that this is the first record of a local airline making a trip to Minicoy.

Maldivian Aero also revealed that Spice Jet had chartered their seaplane for the duration of one month, and that six of their seaplane crew had also travelled to India onboard the flight.

India launched its first seaplane operations with assistance from Maldives' national carrier, back in October.

Mohamed Rizvee, Managing Director of Island Aviation Pvt. Ltd., which runs Maldivian Aero, said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi choosing to charter a Maldivian seaplane for special diplomatic trips was exclusive proof of the deep mutual respect between the two countries.

Rizvee also highlighted that aside from these charters by Spice Jet, Maldivian had committed technical and logistics assistance in establishing seaplane services in India and that relevant parties were already meeting to host discussions and share their expertise.

29/12/20 K Male/Raajje.mv

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Chennai: Airport employee, passenger from Dubai held for gold smuggling

 Chennai: A software engineer working at the Chennai airport and a passenger who arrived from Dubai were apprehended on Monday for allegedly smuggling gold bars worth Rs 1.5 crore, the CISF said.

They said the security personnel found that the passenger, Niyamatullah Hadi, was behaving in a suspicious manner as he entered a bathroom located in the airport terminal soon after 8 AM.

The passenger had landed from Dubai on an Emirates flight.

Security personnel intercepted Nizhal Ravi, a software engineer working with a company called Infosoft Digital Design & Services Pvt Ltd at the airport, after he exited the washroom "in a doubtful manner", the CISF said in a statement.

Two gold bars weighing 3.2 kgs, taped onto the waist, were recovered from the employee when he was frisked, they said.

He told the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel that the gold was "handed over to him" by the passenger who arrived from Dubai. 

The passenger (Hadi) was soon identified after CCTV footage was scanned, it said.

28/12/20 PTI/Outlook

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No flights - Many people from coastal Karnataka stranded abroad

Mangaluru: A number of people from the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi are stranded at various points abroad as international flight services have been suspended due to the scare created by the new strain of coronavirus. At present, flights to Dubai, Qatar and Bahrain are operational. Therefore Kannadigas from Saudi Arabia and other countries are finding it impossible to return to their hometowns even if there is an emergency.

Speaking to a Kannada daily, former vice president of NRI Forum Karnataka, Arathi Krishna, said that she has information about a number of people who are finding it hard either to go to India or to return to their work because of absence flights to Saudi Arabia and other countries.

Flights to Saudi Arabia had been suspended a few weeks ago. People holding work visas were in the past, travelling to UAE, complete 14 days quarantine there and then travel to Saudi Arabia. Many therefore are compelled to stay put in the UAE hotels awaiting resumption of flights to Saudi, said Hidayat Addoor, convener of Kannadigas Federation.

At present, Air India flights to Dubai operate on a daily basis under the 'Vande Bharat' initiative from Mangaluru while SpiceJet and Indigo too have flights to Dubai on certain days. However, in the light of the recent developments, there is apprehension that these flights also might get suspended anytime now.

29/12/20 daijiworld

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Gang abducts three Iraqis from Mumbai airport Terminal 2, robs Rs 90,000

Navi Mumbai: Khalapur police have arrested a man from Uran for posing as a CBI official and abducting three Iraqi tourists on December 26. He was part of a gang of five that had targeted the trio from Mumbai airport T2 and robbed them of Rs 90,500.

Khalapur toll plaza staff informed police that the Iraqis had told them they were abducted in a WagonR, robbed and abandoned with the car around 5km from the toll plaza. With the foreigners not filing a complaint and untraceable, police took suo motu cognizance and arrested the accused.

Car abductors used was hired from Pune man

Senior inspector Anil Vibhute said the man posing as a CBI official was arrested from Uran on December 27 after police traced his mobile tower location. He said the car driver had received the tourists at the airport. On the way, four aides joined him, with one claiming he was a CBI official. “They drove around for three hours, forcing the tourists to call their relatives for ransom money. Around 11.30am, 5km from the toll plaza on Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the gang took their cash, abandoned them and escaped,” he said. Raigad SP Ashok Dudhe said the WagonR was owned by a Pune resident and the accused had hired it.

29/12/20 George Mendonca/Times of India

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Centre denies asking airlines not to fly in Chinese nationals

The Centre on Monday denied asking airlines not to fly in Chinese nationals. According to Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the government has not issued such order and that reports suggesting airlines have been asked to stop flying Chinese nationals are wrong. 

"It is wrong to make suggestions as to citizen of which country should come. There is no such information from our side," Puri said.

Earlier today, multiple media reports claimed that the government has informally asked all airlines not to fly in Chinese nationals.  Back in November, China had barred the entry of foreign nationals, including India, with valid visas and residence permit. China cited the pandemic as a reason behind its decision to stop foreigners from entering into the country.

"The Chinese Embassy/ Consulates in India will not stamp the Health Declaration Forms for the holders of the above-mentioned categories of visa or residence permits," Chinese Embassy had said.

Although direct flights between India and China are currently suspended, those eligible to travel are flying via a third country. Such passengers travel to a country with which India has a travel bubble. From there, they book a ticket for India.

28/12/20 India TV

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Don’t fly in Chinese nationals, Centre informally tells airlines

New Delhi: In a strong retaliatory push, India has asked all airlines informally not to fly Chinese nationals into the country. This comes after China’s not-so-subtle move to stop Indians from flying into their country, something that has only tightened since November.

While flights between India and China are currently suspended, Chinese nationals eligible to travel as per current norms for foreigners have been doing so by first flying to a third country with which India has a travel bubble. And from there, they fly to India. In addition, Chinese nationals living in air bubble countries have also been flying to India from there for work and business.

Over the past weekend, airlines — both Indian and foreign — have been specifically asked not to fly Chinese nationals to India. At the moment tourist visas to India remain suspended but foreigners are allowed to travel here on work and some other categories of non-tourist visas. Industry sources say a majority of Chinese nationals flying to India have been coming from air bubble countries in Europe.

Some airlines, it is learned, asked the authorities to give them something in writing so that they can give reason for denying boarding to Chinese nationals booked on flights to India as per current norms.

New Delhi's response comes when Indian seafarers are stranded in various Chinese ports because China is refusing to allow them on shore, or even to change crew. This has affected almost 1,500 Indians serving on international flag merchant vessels as they can’t even come back home.

Though the target is Australia, whose coal is now banned by China, Indians seafarers have taken a big collateral hit and Beijing does not seem to be willing to organise immediate relief. Questioned this week, the Chinese foreign ministry lobbed the ball back in the courts of local authorities. But officials say there are no permissions forthcoming from any local authority. The Chinese government has given a list of steps to be followed, but, Indian officials say, they are designed to frustrate efforts.

In early November, China had suspended the entry of foreign nationals holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits from some countries including India due to the pandemic. "The Chinese embassy/consulates in India will not stamp the health declaration forms for the holders of the above-mentioned categories of visa or residence permits," the Chinese embassy in India had said in a statement on its website on November 5, while exempting some categories of visa holders like diplomats.

28/12/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Flying to US and Canada becomes expensive for Chennai passengers

Chenaai: Flying to the US and Canada has become expensive as passengers from Chennai have to transit via Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the only two international hubs that are operating flights after flights were suspended to Europe and to the UK.

As options are fewer, fares are up by almost 50%. Travellers are forced to shell out close to Rs 1 lakh for oneway tickets from Chennai because choice of flights is fewer. The ticket cost is usually around Rs50,000 to 65,000.

Passengers from Chennai have to depend on flights via Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha for economical tickets with a good baggage allowance. However, these routes from Chennai to the Middle East are full because of travellers heading to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the New Year weekend.

Basheer Ahmed, of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI), said: “The only option is to fly via Delhi by direct flights operated by Air India. But the number of seats is fewer on these flights. This is causing inconvenience to the passengers who are headed to the US before New Year.”

He also said that airlines like Emirates have reduced the frequency after the ban of flights to Europe and the UK. “The airlines have cancelled a few flights from December 29 onwards. This is also a reason for reduction in the number of seats from Chennai to the Middle East and onwards towards the US or Canada.”

Though demand for travel is high, the airlines are not able to accommodate all passengers on the flights. “The airlines are using big planes but they carry only around 60 passengers per flight. This is a drawback. This also leads to a hike in air fare,” he added.

The Air India flights from Delhi may not be able to handle the demand from other cities of the country. Nevertheless, passengers can fly down by Hong Kong also.

28/12/20 Times of India

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New international flight from KIA to Dubai

While 2020 turned one of the worst years for civil aviation, there is something to cheer about. From Sunday, a new international airline will be operated to the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), making it one of the first to start services in the Covdi-19 era.

Flydubai, the UAE government-owned budget carrier, has started daily flights services between Dubai and Bengaluru. The inaugural flight took off from the Dubai International Airport at 7 am and arrived at KIA at 12.30 pm, on return the flight left Bengaluru at 1.30 pm. Flight services between India and Dubai, like with other nations, were suspended since March 23, however, from July onwards, India has been allowing flight operations between the two countries under the air bubble arrangement. Among the air bubble flights, India operated the maximum number of flights to the UAE.

Apart from that, Dubai is also the most travelled destination from Bengaluru. Before shutting down of the international flights in March, data shows that passengers from Bengaluru travelled to UAE more than any other country.

In 2020, many new airlines and new routes were scheduled to commence services on the international sector, however, they were delayed or postponed due to the ongoing pandemic. Among them were the daily flights between Bengaluru and Narita (Tokyo) scheduled to commence on March 29, along with direct flights between Bengaluru-Munich and between Bengaluru and Seattle, operated by Lufthansa and American Airlinesrespectively. All three have been postponed to next year.

28/12/20 Hemanth CS/Bangalore Mirror

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'Suspension of inbound flights from the UK likely to have a minimal impact on tourist traffic in India'

The suspension of inbound flights from the UK due to the emergence of a new, highly infectious COVID-19 strain in the island nation is likely to have a minimal impact on tourist traffic in India, share industry sources. 

India had to temporarily suspend flights between India and UK until December 31 due to emergence of a new strain of Coronavirus. 

"We are currently seeing a minimal impact on tourist traffic since most traffic was seen on India bound flights due to festive season and New year celebrations. We anyway have not been noticing much traffic due to air bubble arrangement and also due to covid scare across the globe," shared, Nishant Pitti from Ease my trip.

DGCA in a circular said, "In view of the emerging covid-19 situation in the UK, the competent authority has temporarily suspended flight to/from the UK with effect from 11.59 pm of December 22, 2020. Therefore, no flights from the UK will land in India after 11:59 pm on December 22, 2020. Airlines shall enforce this at the port of initial departure. Consequently, flights from India to the UK shall also remain suspended."

28/12/20 Karishma Asoodani/ETNowNews.com

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Mumbai-Dubai, Delhi-Dubai now among busiest international routes

Mumbai: Mumbai-Dubai and Delhi-Dubai have now emerged among the busiest international routes in the pandemic world. According to the UK-based air consultancy firm OAG, Delhi-Dubai is the fifth and Mumbai-Dubai 10th busiest air route this month in terms of seat capacity deployment by airlines operating on various routes.

The busiest international route is Dubai-London Heathrow (1.7 lakh seats) followed by Orlando-San Juan (1.6 lakh seats) and Cairo-Jeddah (1.4 lakh). Delhi-Dubai has 1.1 lakh and Mumbai-Dubai over a lakh seats this month, according to OAG.

While scheduled international flights remain suspended, foreign travel by eligible categories of people is currently happening to and from countries with which India has created air bubbles and on Vande Bharat Mission flights.

Domestic air traffic, on the other hand, is reviving steadily albeit with the pandemic leading to new travel trends. Christmas saw a higher number of domestic flyers at over 2.5 lakh, since scheduled flights within the country were allowed to resume on May 25.

In a statement, online travel firm Cleartrip said: "The uncertainty caused by the pandemic has resulted in travellers preferring to book their travel close to the travel date. In (pre-pandemic) January-March, 51% of the trips were booked within two weeks of the travel date. However, trips booked within two weeks before travel increased to about 81% in April-September. We have seen this trend reverse to an extent in Q4 (67%)."

Similarly, in January-March, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa, Kolkata and Hyderabad as the top booked cities by travellers from Delhi. The lockdown months of April-June saw Patna at the top spot followed by Kolkata, Srinagar, Ranchi and Bengaluru. This trend was due to people returning to their home cities once domestic air travel was allowed to resume, Cleartrip data shows.In July-September, the top five cities booked to travel to from Delhi were: Mumbai, Patna, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kolkata. And in October-December, the five cities were: Mumbai, Goa, Bengaluru, Patna and Kolkata.

28/12/20 Times of India

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UK-returnee from Nashik tests positive for Covid-19

Nashik: A 25-year-old resident of Nashik city, who had tested negative at the Mumbai airport after returning from the United Kingdom on December 13, has now tested positive for Covid-19.

Avesh Palod, the nodal officer of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC), said: “The RT-PCR test result of the UK returnee came back positive on Saturday. However, it is not clear whether he was infected before his return to India or after, as the test conducted at the Mumbai airport was negative.”

The man has been under home quarantine as per the standard protocol. On Wednesday, his mother was tested for Covid-19 as she was feeling uneasy and the report on Friday found her Covid-19 positive. The woman was admitted to a private hospital and the Covid-19 test of the UK returnee was also conducted again as he fell in the high-risk category (HRC). His test reports came on Saturday.

“I have asked the private hospital concerned to ensure separate wards for both the mother and the son. Their swab samples have been sent to the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) for further tests,” said Palod.

NIV-Pune will figure out if the infection has traces of the new strain of the virus that has been reported in the UK.

“It is not clear as to who was infected first — the mother or the son. The tests could throw some light on the same. It is possible that the mother got the infected first and passed it on to the son or the vice-versa,” the officer said.

27/12/20 ABhilash Botekar/Times of India

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14 UK returnees to Karnataka test Covid positive, samples sent to NIMHANS

Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Saturday said 14 people who have come to the state from the UK so far have tested positive for COVID-19 and their samples have been sent for genetic sequencing to find whether it is a new strain of virus that has infected them.

"A total of 2,500 people have come (from the UK), of them 1,638 have been tested. According to information I received last night 14 of them have tested positive. All the 14 (samples) have been sent to NIMHANS for (genetic sequencing)," he said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, the Central government has notified ten designated labs in the country for genetic sequencing, out of them two are in Bengaluru- NIMHANS and National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS).

"The 14 samples are undergoing genetic squening. The second variant of virus in the UK is said to have undergone 17 mutations, the genetic sequencing will test in detail about mutations, which may require 48 hours, probably it (report) will come tomorrow," he said.

A total of 2,500 people have come to the state from the UK from November 25 till December 22 in two flights-Air India and British Airways- that operate, and efforts were on to trace, monitor their health and subject them to tests.

The Minister however, said information regarding the genetic sequencing test reports as per the Prime Minister's Office message will be sent to Indian Council of Medical Research which is likely to share the information to the public in a day or two.

26/12/20 PTI/Business Standard

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Traveller from UK tests +ve at Guwahati airport, isolated

Guwahati: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said one traveller from the United Kingdom (UK) has tested positive for Covid-19 and was isolated at the airport here.

However, Sarma clarified that there is no cause for panic simply on speculations that the person might be infected with the new mutant variety of the novel coronavirus.

“An alert has been raised in India after a new variant of Covid-19 was reported in the UK. A person, who returned from Britain, was found positive on arrival here. The sample of the patient has been sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune for verification,” Sarma said.

He added, “The person has been isolated immediately so that there is no spread of the virus. We are waiting for the confirmatory report from Pune as to whether the person is infected with the new variety of the virus.”

Asking people to not pay heed to rumours, the health minister said, “Speculations will not only put pressure on the person’s family, but will also create unnecessary fear in the minds of the people. We do not want that at this moment when we have decided to resume normal life from January 1.”

When asked as to whether there would be any further lockdowns in view of this new variety of the virus, the minister categorically ruled it out.

26/12/20 Prabin Kalita/Times of India

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489 Passengers Out of 970 Quarantined at Mumbai International Airport Amid Alarm Over New UK Virus Strain

As many as 970 passengers landed at the Mumbai international airport from different parts of the world including Europe and the Middle-East on Friday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. Of them, 489 were quarantined in the city.

The passengers arrived by eight international flights during the day. Since the detection of a new variant of coronavirus in the UK, institutional quarantine has been made mandatory for all arrivals from Europe and the Middle-East.

Three out of eight flights arrived from Europe and Middle East countries, carrying a total of 120 passengers. Of them, 32 were kept in institutional quarantine in Mumbai. Six passengers were exempted, said municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.

"Two people were above 80 years of age, two were pregnant ladies and two others were exempted on account of medical emergency," he said. The rest were allowed to travel to other states. Flights from the UK have already been suspended.

26/12/20 PTI/News18.com

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AirAsia to cut India stake to 13%, Tata mulls mega carrier

AirAsia Group plans to cut its stake in AirAsia India from 49% to just 13%, unnamed sources have told The Times of India, giving joint venture partner Tata Sons a significantly greater hold over the airline.

However, the low-cost carrier will continue to use the AirAsia brand for some time, together with other arrangements such as aircraft maintenance and ticketing and accounting software.

While the Malaysian group continues to run a common website for its operations in different countries, Tata Sons has started setting up a separate website for AirAsia India, according to the newspaper. The Indian conglomerate’s information technology subsidiary Tata Consultancy Services is also reportedly developing pilot and crew management software.

“It is not going to be an instant divorce but a prolonged one,” a source said.

Tata Sons and AirAsia Group continue to negotiate their differences, most notably over the sums each side is obligated to inject into their joint venture. AirAsia has said it is reviewing its investment in India after resolving to focus only on southeast Asia.

Tata is involved in another airline venture, Vistara, together with Singapore Airlines, and has also expressed interest in buying state-run Air India. While its broader airline consolidation plans are not clear, it does intend to channel the proposed acquisition of the heavily indebted flag carrier through AirAsia India and not through Vistara, as Singapore Airlines is not currently up for acquisitions in the current climate.

24/12/20 ch-aviation

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Everything you should know about Kandahar Plane Hijack

On Christmas Eve, in 1999, an Indian Airlines flight (IC 814) carrying about 180 passengers flying from Kathmandu, Nepal to New Delhi was hijacked. What Ajit Doval had said about Indian Airlines IC-814 hijacking, Masood Azhar's release? What country should learn from Kandahar Plane Hijack? 

Watch this detailed report >>

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10 UK Returnees Test COVID-19 Positive In Karnataka: Minister

Bengaluru: Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Friday said so far 10 people who have come to the state from the UK have tested positive for COVID-19 and their samples have been sent for genetic sequencing to find out whether it is a new strain of virus that has infected them.

"Among the UK returnees according to information I have about 10 people have tested positive, all their samples have been sent to NIMHANS, two to three days are required for genetic sequencing, once that (report) is out we will get to know whether it is the second strain, and accordingly we will follow necessary procedures for treatment," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Sudhakar said, things relating to this second strain were still being studied and according to initial studies the variant of South African origin was more intensive than the one found in the UK.

"Based on the final reports we get, we will take necessary steps. Have trust in the government, before taking any decision we think hundred times. Protecting the health of the people is our main priority," he added.

The Minister had recently said that about 2,500 people have come to the state from the UK from November 25 to December 22 in two flights-Air India and British Airways that operate, and efforts were on to trace, monitor their health and subject them to tests.

25/12/20 PTI/NDTV

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2021: Bangalore’s Impressive Year With Three Airlines Starting US Routes

Bangalore Airport is quickly emerging as a major hub for flights to the US. 2021 will see United, American, and Air India all start routes from Bangalore to the west coast of the US. The new routes will see the airports go from being underserved to becoming a battleground for airlines. Let’s find out more about Bangalore’s impressive 2021 plans.

Commonly known as India’s silicon valley, Bangalore is the country’s bustling IT hub. The city is home to companies like Infosys and Walmart-owned e-commerce giant Flipkart, and hosts research centers for IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and more. The presence of the growing tech industry makes Bangalore an important market for international travel.

Bangalore is also one of the highest yield markets for airlines in all of South Asia, beating out even Delhi and Mumbai for flights to London (currently the longest route from the city), according to an analysis by Anna.aero. American Airlines also expects high demand for business class seats once its route starts.

When it comes to the US, Bangalore surprisingly has no direct flights at all. This means passengers from the city take connecting flights with carriers like Emirates, Qatar, British Airways, and Lufthansa. However, connecting flights tend to be inconvenient and longer for passengers, making direct flights much more lucrative, especially for business travelers.

It is also notable that all three carriers have started flights from Bangalore to the US’s west coast. This means there will still be no direct flights to New York or Chicago for now. The reason for this is the strong cultural and business links between the regions.

25/12/20 Pranjal Pande/Simpole Flying

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12-year-old Indian in Guinness World Record for identifying most aeroplane tails in UAE

Dubai: A 12-year-old Indian boy in the UAE has entered into the Guinness Book of World Records by identifying the most aeroplane tails in a minute, media reports said on Thursday. Siddhant Gumber, an Abu Dhabi-based homeschooled boy who identified 39 aeroplane tails in 60 seconds, is also the youngest Indian to identify top 100 tallest buildings, Gulf News reported.

Gumber, who hails from Haryana, was earlier recognised by the ‘India Book of World Records’. He achieved the Guinness world record last month, the report said.

His name also features in the ‘India Book’ for being the youngest to identify the top 100 tallest buildings of the world with their respective heights and locations, it said.

“I have been a Lego buff since I was a toddler, and my father and I spent a lot of time creating a variety of models — rockets, air planes, buildings and vehicles. I was able to recognise a lot of the air plane tails, and my mother helped me compile them in PowerPoint slides so I could identify them (very quickly),” Gumber told Gulf News.

His mother Monisha said that her son has always been interested in signs, symbols and logos.

“He has an exceptional picture memory and usually never forgets an image once he has seen it. He does have a variety of interests and likes to know about things into detail, just like air planes. Although he loves country flags, we focused on aeroplane tails for the Guinness record because they too are unique,” she said.

24/12/20 PTI/India TV

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Covid-19 in India: 10 UK passengers in Karnataka test coronavirus positive

Bengaluru: As many as 10 passengers who returned from the UK since November 25 have tested Covid positive so far, Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister K. Sudhakar revealed here on Friday.

"According to information I possess, 10 people tested positive, all their samples have been sent to NIMHANS, two to three days are required for genetic sequencing... once that report is out, we will get to know whether it is the second strain, and accordingly we will follow necessary procedures for treatment," he said in response to a question at a press meet.

According to him, details relating to this second strain are still being deliberated and according to initial studies, another strain of this virus discovered in South Africa is far more severe than the one found in the UK.

"We can take action only after we get the reports of these 10 positive patients. As we get (them), we will take necessary steps. I appeal the people to have faith in the government, before taking any decision we think hundred times. Protecting the health of the people is our chief concern," he said.

The Minister had recently said that about 2,500 people have come to the state from UK since November 25 to December 22 in flights operated by Air India and British Airways, and efforts were on to trace, monitor their health and subject them to tests.

Responding to criticism against the government, the minister observed that this is the very government that has achieved a recovery rate of 97.5 per cent, and brought down fatality rate to 1.22 per cent.

"After the new variant was discovered, countries like Britain and Germany have adopted stringent measures like ordering lockdown and latter enforcing curfew. What does this indicate?" he asked.

Sudhakar added that the decision to enforce curfew after 11 p.m. was taken keeping in mind the public interest so as to ensure that normal life is not affected.

25/12/20 IANS/Khaleej Times

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Testing of all international passengers who landed at Chandigarh International Airport since November 25

Mohali: All international passengers who arrived at the Chandigarh International Airport since November 25 would be traced and tested for the Covid-19.

The incoming passengers would be tested and isolated in accordance with the protocol for Covid-19. An SOP has been issued by the government in this regard.

A team has been deputed for tracing and testing all international passengers who have landed at airport (IA) since November 25.

The nodal officer of the team will procure the passenger manifest list from international airlines and furnish it to tracing and medical teams who will identify cases.

AN institutional quarantine facility for suspected patients has been set-up at Gian Sagar Hospital and officers have been deputed to look into places that may be provided as paid institutional quarantine centres for international travellers who wish to isolate in a private establishment.

24/12/20 Gaurav Kanthwal/Tribune

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9 crew members of British Airways flight quarantined in Chennai

Chennai: Amid reports of spread of mutant variant of coronavirus in the United Kingdom, nine crew members of a British Airways cargo flight from London were subjected to coronavirus tests and were sent to quarantine on their arrival at the Anna International airport here today.

Sources said following the spread of the mutant variant of the virus, the Central government has banned all flights to and from London till the end of this year, while allowing cargo flights with special permission.

This morning a British Airways cargo flight landed at the airport and all the nine crew members were subjected to tests and were sent to quarantine facility.

24/12/20 News Today

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8 UK-returned people test COVID positive during Delhi govt''s door-to-door drive

New Delhi: In the ongoing door-to-door contact drive being conducted by the Delhi government to test UK-returned persons for prevalence of COVID-19, eight have so far been found infected with the coronavirus, officials said on Friday.

A total of 19 passengers out of over 13,000 who landed from the UK at the IGI airport here between November 25 and December 21 have been found positive for the virus. 

Eleven were tested positive at the airport while eight others were found positive during the door to door contact and testing drive being carried out in all the districts of the city, said a top Delhi government source.

"All the 19 positive patients have been admitted to the special facility set up at LNJP hospital where they will undergo genome testing to determine whether they are infected by the super spreader strain of the coronavirus that has been reported in United Kingdom," the source said.

So far, one person each in the south east and south west districts of Delhi who returned from the UK in recent weeks were reported positive for the virus. The remaining positive persons were residents of other districts.

A person from Dwarka in south west Delhi who had returned from the UK on December 19 has been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. The father of that person has also tested positive but he is asymptomatic, an official said.

The whole family has been quarantined in an institutional facility, the official said. In New Delhi district, the UK-returned passengers are being tested through RTPCR tests. No one has tested positive so far, they said.

The door to door contact and monitoring is also underway to keep watch on the persons who returned from the UK in the last few weeks. Among them, those showing even the slightest symptoms are being RTPCR tested, they said.

Out of the over 13,000 passengers who landed  at IGI airport from the UK, around 1400 have been identified as Delhi residents, officials said. The list of passengers provided by the Bureau of Civil Aviation is being sorted and all the Delhi residents who returned from the UK are being contacted, they said.

Delhi Health minister Satyendar Jain said on Wednesday that  tracing and testing of all those who travelled to Delhi from the UK in the past two weeks will be ensured.

“Delhi Government is aware, and all the people who have travelled from the UK to Delhi in the past two weeks will be traced, tested and advised quarantine," he had said in a statement.

25/12/20 PTI/Outlook

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Covid-19 positive UK returnee woman manages to reach Andhra from Delhi

A Covid-19 positive woman, who allegedly managed to give the slip to authorities in New Delhi after her arrival from the UK recently and reach Andhra Pradesh by train, has been picked up from Rajamahendravaram and admitted to a hospital along with her son, officials said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said the city government will approach airport authorities over a report that two Covid-positive flyers from the UK had slipped out from the airport.

Amid mounting concern over a new strain of the virus detected in UK, the Delhi government on Tuesday had said people who have arrived here recently from that country, are being traced and tested, while an institutional quaran­tine facility was being set up separately for positive cases at the LNJP Hospital.

At a press conference, asked about the report that two passengers from the UK, who had landed at Delhi airport on Tuesday, had further travelled to Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, despite testing positive for COVID-19, Jain said, "I have also read about it in the newspaper today".

"Flight operations and security there is under the airport authorities... But, a person who has tested positive, should not have moved out," Jain said.

Asked about the responsibility of the nodal officer for COVID-19 at the Delhi airport, the health minister said, "We will talk to airport authorities about it".

According to the report, the two UK flyers, who had "slipped out", have been traced and "brought back" to Delhi.

All passengers arriving from the UK are being tested for Covid-19 at the Delhi airport.

"Those found positive are being quarantined in an institutional quarantine facility," Jain said.

Sources said, three persons who returned from the UK, and tested positive, have been brought to LNJP Hospital's separate isolation.

24/12/20 PTI/Business Standard

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216 people who arrived Punjab from UK to be institutionally quarantined

Amritsar: As many as 216 people who arrived here from the UK in a December 22 flight will be institutionally quarantined as they might have come in contact with seven of their fellow passengers and a crew member who tested COVID-19 positive on arrival, health officials said on Thursday.

They are from different places, including Amritsar, and are being taken from their homes to institutional quarantine centres, they said.

The Air India flight from London had arrived at Amritsar’s Sri Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport on Tuesday with 250 passengers and 22 crew members, and eight people tested positive for the coronavirus.

The health officials said all of them had undergone the RT-PCR test on Tuesday and were found negative, except eight, but the step to institutionally quarantine the 216 people has been taken to ensure maximum safety as per Punjab government guidelines.

India has suspended all passenger flights from the UK till December 31 in the wake of the emergence of a rapid-spreading mutated variant of the coronavirus there. Moreover, passengers coming from the UK through flights till Tuesday midnight were tested for COVID-19 on arrival at airports.

Civil Surgeon Dr Ravinder Singh Sethi said on Thursday, “Eight passengers (including a crew member) on their arrival had tested positive for the coronavirus after RT-PCR tests. Later, they were immediately shifted to a private hospital here as per their choice”.

Their samples have been sent for further tests to a Pune laboratory, he said.

“Later the administration found that as many as 216 passengers could have come in contact with the eight positive passengers (including a crew member), and now we have decided to quarantine them institutionally following guidelines from the Punjab government,” he said.

He also said that “10 passengers of the 216 are from Amritsar and they are being taken to quarantine centres from their houses today”.

“They are being sent to a private hotel where they would complete their quarantine period as per the state government’s guidelines,” Sethi said.

24/12/20 Tribune

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5 Coronavirus Positive UK Returnees Flee Delhi Airport; One Traced in Ludhiana, Other in Andhra Pradesh

New Delhi: Amid fears over the new coronavirus strain that has been found in the United Kingdom, the news of five UK returnees, who went untraceable from Delhi airport, has put authorities on alert. 

Reports inform that as many as five COVID-19 positive passengers fled after arriving at the Delhi airport from the UK on December 22, a report by The Indian Express said. The passengers managed to escape despite standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Union Health Ministry for people travelling from the UK. 

According to the report, three of the five passengers were traced and admitted to Lok Nayak hospital in Delhi, while two others -- one who managed to reach Andhra Pradesh and another who had reached Ludhiana in Punjab. According to a report by Moneycontrol, one of the five passengers, a 46-year-old man, managed to leave the Delhi airport unnoticed and reach Ludhiana. He checked himself into a private hospital and two his wife and nephew were also isolated. The report further informs that all the five passengers had arrived in Delhi from London on board an Air India flight and had tested positive on arrival. 

 Earlier in the day, a tweet by ANI said that an Anglo-Indian woman, who had reached Delhi from the UKon December 21 and had tested positive for COVID-19, managed to flee from the isolation centre. The woman fled an isolation centre in Delhi and reached Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh by a train. The woman has now been traced and placed under isolation in Rajahmundry, officials said on Thursday.

24/12/20 Latestly

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Chaos At Delhi Airport On-cam As UK Returnees Rage At Authorities Amid New COVID Norms

Just when India was returning to normalcy and improving in reducing the number of daily COVID-19 cases and active cases, the emergence of a new strain of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom seemed to derail the normalcy plans. With the authorities trying to prevent the spread of the new variant said to have easier transmission, chaos has been witnessed at Delhi airport. Videos of passengers getting angry at Delhi airport have surfaced on Twitter.

In one of the videos, one can see passengers shouting at the authorities. Words like ‘let us go’ could be heard in the video. 

The chaos seemed to be over the passengers allegedly being made to wait for hours to get their COVID-19 test report. A Twitter user shared a video from the airport, and expressed displeasure about being made to wait eight hours for the report, though his journey from London to Delhi had taken lesser than that, eight hours.

The Twitter handle of Delhi airport had replied that they were looking into the matter 'regretted the inconvenienced caused.'

Eleven passengers on four flights from the UK were found positive for COVID-19 when tested on arrival at the Delhi airport, said Gauri Agarwal, founder of the Genestrings Diagnostic Center, on Wednesday, as per a report on PTI>

Genestrings is handling coronavirus testing of all passengers at the Delhi airport. In her statement, Agarwal said 50 passengers of the aforementioned four flights have been put under institutional quarantine.

24/12/20 Republic World

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21 yrs on, Kandahar hijack still haunts Bhopal couple

Bhopal: Burger, Doctor, Chief, Bhola and Shankar... The names still bring nightmares to Durgesh and Renu Goel.

These are the names of the five hijackers of Air India flight IC-814, on which the newly weds were returning from Honeymoon in Kathmandu on December 24, 1999. There were 17 passengers from Bhopal on the plane at the time of hijack.

Memories of the horrific ordeal cling to them, and it’s only now that they can bring themselves to talk about it.

Goel said it took him several years to come out of the nightmare. “It took me 10 years to board a flight after that incident. My wife and I lived through a nightmare that will remain seared in our souls,” said Goel, a Bhopal-based builder.

Narrating the horror, Goel said, “Bhola and Burger used to hit passengers, while Doctor and Chief used to talk with the authorities. Those 175 hours were the worst part of each passenger’s life who was on that flight.”

At one point of time, passengers were so desperate and furious that they had decided to attack the hijackers. “Imagine the situation where 150 passengers are confined within a plane for almost 175 hours. After discussing with one another, it was decided that we would try and overpower the five hijackers. However, the negotiation were finalised and we were released,” said Goel. He remembers that the flight almost crashed twice. “The hijackers forced the pilot to land at Amritsar although the airport was not meant for an Airbus. It was quite skilled of our pilot to make the landing there. Also, when our plane was not allowed to land at Lahore airport, the pilot tried to land on a road. But he changed his mind at the last minute, seeing a lot of people there,” said Goel.

24/12/20 Ramendra Singh/Times of India

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Increased scrutiny for flyers at Kolkata airport to keep fresh Covid strain away

Kolkata: Five British travellers of Indian origin who flew into the city late Monday night from Doha were separated and taken to CNCI Hospital in Rajarhat for RT-PCR tests.

They were taken for a repeat test to be sure that none of them have Covid. Five British passport holders, including four of a family, reached the city at 2:05 am yesterday on Qatar Airways flight QR540. 

An airport official told the Times of India, “Though they had Covid negative reports and did not display any Covid symptoms, they were transported to Covid facility at Rajarhat for RT-PCR test to be sure that they are not carrying the infection.”

The five people, along with the two people who had come by the Air India flight from London on December 20 and tested positive on arrival, would be kept in institutional quarantine for six days. Samples from the five Qatar Airways travellers would be sent to Pune for study.

Immigration officers have been ordered to check passports of all incoming people to ensure no one has been to UK in the last week. The increased vigilance is to check the entry of people who may be coming from UK via another nation.

The city has flights connecting Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Doha and Dhaka. There is a chance of a passenger from UK having flown into these countries before the ban and then moving to fly into Kolkata now. 

24/12/20 TimesNowNews.com

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It only takes Dh300 to fly down to Mumbai from Dubai, while Karachi is Dh434

Dubai: Airline ticket rates are again dropping sharply, with seats to Mumbai now available at Dh300-Dh400 from Dubai, while it's at Dh430 or so to Karachi. This comes as the aviation industry faces another disruption from a new COVID-19 virus strain, and governments impose strict measures against its spread through air travel.

These are available on flydubai and Air Arabia flights and are unprecedented for this time of the year, when holiday travel is typically at its peak. London, which is in the middle of another lockdown, can be had from Dh1,600, which is at least 30-40 per cent off from their usual December range. Maldives, which has emerged as the most attractive destination for UAE residents during the pandemic year can cost between Dh2,500 to Dh3,500.

“It's likely that there will be some bargain fares in the market in the coming days/weeks," said John Grant, Partner at Midas Aviation. "Airlines are trying to balance consumer confidence being rocked again by the new variant of COVID-19.

“At the same time, airlines are desperate for cash and need to try and stimulate any possible demand. So, expect more sharp fares.”

UAE airlines have so far not joined in the cancellation of flights to the UK after the country imposed another lockdown round. Spokespersons at Emirates and Etihad had confirmed earlier that flights to London are running on schedule. However, reports have been coming through of widespread cancellations as expats are deterred by COVID-19 curbs in the country.

24/12/20 John Benny/Gulf News

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People arriving in Kolkata from foreign countries after November 25 kept under special watch

Kolkata: More than 800 people who came from UK to the city after November 25 are under watch of the state government. Immigration authorities at the city airport are collecting data of all people who have arrived by Air India flights from London.

The authorities are looking at people from Dubai, Sharjah, Doha and Dhaka to check if anyone had moved airports in the UAE, Qatar and Bangladesh to reach the city during this period. The step comes after a fresh set of SOPs issued by the central government that prescribes different actions for entry and in the community for all international travellers who have travelled from or moved through UK from November 25-December 23.

International flights flew 4,742 people into the city in between November 25-December 17. Four direct flights had reached the city since November 25, carrying 846 passengers, according to Times of India’s sources at the city airport. 

152 people got RT-PCR tests done on arrival, leading to the identification of four people with Covid. Two of them had arrived on the flight on December 6. Two other people had tested positive on arrival, one on October 25 and another on November 15.

24/12/20 TimesNowNews.com

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UAE to India travel: Updated list of state-wise quarantine regulations

On Monday, India suspended its flights from the United Kingdom (UK), the epicentre of a fresh Covid-19 variant, till December 31 amid fears over a new wave of the viral outbreak. Following this, Maharashtra state imposed a seven-day mandatory institutional quarantine for all travellers arriving from the Middle East, including the UAE, followed by a seven-day home quarantine. As more Indian citizens in the UAE and elsewhere are travelling home on short trips for personal and professional reasons, the new set of regulations has been overwhelming for many.

Here is an up-to-date list of quarantine regulations to Indian states >>

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Exempt crew members operating flights from UK for institutional quarantine, says aviation ministry

New Delhi: The aviation ministry has urged authorities to exempt airline crew members flying from UK from institutional quarantine.

The new rule to quarantine passengers coming from UK was framed on Monday afternoon after the government decided to suspend all passenger flights till the year-end, amid the new Covid strain. However, cargo flights and those specifically permitted by aviation authorities here have been allowed to continue operations.

The government will review the suspension period in a couple of days depending on the new Covid virus mutant situation in the UK.

“State governments have been monitoring passengers who have come from UK since last few days as a matter of abundant precautions. Some states are ensuring institutional quarantine for such passengers…. all crew members are already in compliance with the guidelines and (rules), in respect of RT-PCR testing and quarantine, issued by the aviation ministry which are, in turn, based on the recommendations issued by the health ministry,” aviation ministry joint secretary Usha Padhee wrote to the authorities concerned on Wednesday.

“These guidelines are very robust in nature and they are followed rigorously. In view of (this), it is requested that crew members may be exempted from the mandatory institutional quarantine, if any, that is being currently enforced on the passengers returning from UK. It is reiterated that crew members of airlines would continue to be governed by the guidelines / (rules) issued by the aviation ministry,” she wrote.

Crew members operating flights to India from the UK were tested for Covid on arrival after the government’s Monday afternoon decision. They were allowed to go home only after their test result was negative.

Several states have different rules now to control the spread of the pandemic. The Maharashtra government, for instance, now requires passengers arriving from the Middle East and European countries to undergo mandatory institutional quarantine.

23/12/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Indore: Exporters ​told about international cargo ​facility at city airport

Indore: ​"​The exporter​s​ of the region can ​book their shipment right from the​ city as ​the ​​international ​c​argo facility is soon going to ​start​ from ​the city airport. ​This facility will reduce the cost ​and delivery time ​of ​the ​export​s​," said MP Shankar Lalwani​ while addressing an ‘Exporters Meet’ here on​ Wednesday.

​The meet was organised by the Federation of Export Organisations​ (FIEO) in association with ​AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services (​AAI​​CLAS​)​​ ​Indore & Kotak Mahindra Bank.

The​ objective of this meet was to update the exporting fraternity on the​ ​facilities provided by- Indore ​a​ir cargo complex to the exporters​. The airport ​terminal is being extended ​for an International Air Cargo Terminal.

Lalwani​ appeal​ed​ to the exporter to increase the manufacturing​ of toys to increase the export from India. During his address he also​ informed that they have identified the land, which they are offering​ to various associations for the development of the various​ ​clusters.

Suber Rampurawala, Convener FIEO MP chapter said that being the​ commercial hub of Madhya Pradesh the city mostly attracts all kinds of​ businesses. Earlier​, ​exporters had to ​book their shipment from Mumbai, Chennai and other big cities ​which meant extra cost. Now, since AICLASS has come up, ​we can export our products directly from the​ city​. This will help the region grow at a rapid pace. 

23/12/20 Free Press Journal

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Rules to stop coronavirus variant stoke chaos at Indian airports

Mumbai: Passengers flying into India's biggest airports on Wednesday complained of long waits and confusion as authorities sought to impose rules to try to stop the spread of a new more transmissible variant of the coronavirus.

Like many countries, India has suspended flights from Britain, where cases have soared because of the variant.

People arriving from Britain before the ban came into force on Wednesday were being tested, including Kamini Saraswat whose plane landed in New Delhi just before midnight.

Despite pre-booking a test, her turn came nine hours after arrival and she told Reuters she was still stuck at the airport waiting for the result.

"There is no clear communication," said Saraswat, 28. "There is no social distancing."

Cellphone footage taken by Saraswat, shared with Reuters, showed long lines of passengers and crowds packed together around desks to get themselves tested.

India's hardest-hit state of Maharashtra, home to financial capital Mumbai, has taken additional measures, quarantining most passengers arriving from Europe and the Middle East for a week. Many European and Middle Eastern countries have also suspended flights from Britain, but act as transit hubs for the big airlines flying into India.

Ishwari Gaurav Naik, who arrived in Mumbai from Dubai at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, said she had to wait more than six hours before authorities sent her and three family members to a quarantine facility.

Delhi and Mumbai airport officials declined to comment, and local officials in both cities and India's federal health ministry did not respond to questions from Reuters.

Federal authorities have said that all required measures will be undertaken but have given few details of how the extra checks will be staffed.

India's plan to track down and screen all arrivals from Britain since Nov. 25 is also getting stretched.

23/12/20 Shilpa Jamkhandikar and Devjyot Ghoshal/Reuters/Peninsula

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Mumbai airport reports significant increase in international passengers

On December 23, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai released figures on international passenger movement from May through November 2020. "While CSMIA catered to over 10,300 passengers across 1,060 flights in May 2020, the airport witnessed the movement of over 1,44,400 passengers across over 2,300 ATMs in November 2020," stated a press note.

Given fears and apprehensions around a new, potentially more transmissible COVID-19 variant, B.1.1.7, which researchers believe began manifesting in southern England as early as September, the international passenger numbers from CSMIA should be taken more seriously. Especially since increased air traffic between two major financial capitals, London and Mumbai, is unavoidable even in one of the leanest years in aviation history.

During the period of May-November 2020, CSMIA has registered Dubai, London-Heathrow, Newark, Doha, and Abu Dhabi as the top 5 destinations for passengers flying from Mumbai. Among these, Dubai emerged as the route with the highest passenger traffic catering to over 2,67,600 passengers; followed by London-Heathrow at over 89,800 passengers, Newark with 80,800 passengers, Doha with 58,200 passengers and Abu Dhabi with 39,400 passengers approximately. Air India was registered as the top airlines catering to London-Heathrow and Newark with a total of over 89,800 and 80,800 passengers respectively. These numbers include repatriation as well as Vande Bharat flights from air bubble agreements

Although CSMIA has numerous preventive SOPs in place, including mandatory RT-PCR checks for arriving and departing international fliers, detecting the passage of the new variant to India from UK returnees who may have tested positive since October is now hard to determine. Since Tuesday night, the government has banned all flights from the UK and people who travelled or transited from the UK in the past 14 days are to declare their travel history, as norms for testing and tracing arrivals from Britain from November 25 now kick in.

The new strain was found in almost 60 per cent of the positive cases reported in London till mid-December. Some 22 people—including six from Delhi—tested positive for the virus on Tuesday in India, their samples sent for genome sequencing. All passengers from the UK will now undergo a spike gene test if they test positive at the RT-PCR stage.

23/12/20 Sneha Bhura/The Week

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No flight from UK landed in city: Officials

Jaipur: Rajasthan currently appears to be safe from the latest Covid strain as no flights from UK have landed here. Officials said since no direct flight lands here, chances of the new strain entering the state is minimum.

India on Monday suspended all passenger flights to and from the UK between December 23 and 31, joining dozens of countries that have clamped limited or comprehensive travel bans in a worldwide scramble to keep out the new coronavirus strain spreading fast across Britain.

“We have never had direct flights from the UK in the past as well and none has been started afresh. Even if someone wants to take a connecting flight to Jaipur before the ban comes into place, they would have to take the mandatory test at the respective airports where they land. Usually passengers travelling from the UK land in Delhi from where they take a connecting flight to Jaipur. But now they will not be allowed to travel further,” said an official at Jaipur International Airport.

23/12/20 Times of India

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Dubai flight to resume from Chandigarh airport

Mohali: Private airlines IndiGo will resume its Dubai flight from Chandigarh international airport after eight months. Air India will resume the operations of Sharjah flight, but it will arrive at Chandigarh once a week on Saturdays and will leave from Delhi.

An airport spokesperson said IndiGo will be operating Dubai flight every Monday. The flight will arrive from Dubai at 2.40pm and depart at 4.10pm. IndiGo will press Airbus A-320 into service, having a capacity of 180. Similarly, Air India will resume its Sharjah operations with its subsidiary Air India Express, as the flight will arrive from Sharjah every Saturday at 3pm and depart for Delhi, from where it will continue to Sharjah.

23/12/20 Times of India

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20 Passengers from UK Test Positive for Covid-19 in India, Reports of 4 in Ahmedabad Show High Viral Load

Twenty passengers who arrived in India from Britain on Tuesday have tested positive for COVID-19.

At the Ahmedabad airport, RT-PCR tests were performed on 275 passengers, including crew members of the flight from London to Ahmedabad. A total of four passengers tested positive were admitted to the SVP hospital. The RT-PCR test revealed that the CT value (viral load) of all four passengers was 19, 23, 25 and 28, respectively.

The blood samples of passengers who tested positive will be sent to Pune to check if they have the new strain of coronavirus found recently in the UK. More importantly, none of the four passengers have any Covid-19 symptoms and yet the virus load was found to be very high. A CT value of 14 to 22 usually indicates a higher viral load.

Two of the four patients who came to Ahmedabad from the UK were admitted to the SVP hospital. in that one is a couple, one patient is from Bharuch and one from Diu. The SVP has separate wards for all four. In them, symptoms of a new strain will be known after four days.

Of the 20 that tested positive, six were on a flight that landed in Delhi at 11.30 pm on Monday, two on a flight that came into Kolkata on Sunday night, four that arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday and eight, including a crew member, in Amritsar who also reached on Wednesday. All were direct Air India flights from London.

23/12/20 News18.com

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New COVID-19 strain: Health secretary reviews the status of fliers who arrived from UK

New Delhi: Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Wednesday reviewed the status of travellers coming from the UK to India who were found COVID-19 positive before the temporary flight bans came into effect from December 23.

The states for which the detailed review was carried out included Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Goa, Punjab, Gujarat and Kerala.

A number of travellers have been found COVID-19 positive but the results of their genome sequence tests, which can confirm whether they carry the mutant virus identified in the UK, are still awaited. 

The secretary also discussed in detail the standard operating procedures related to the epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in European countries that is being reported to be more infectious and is affecting the younger population.

The SOP had said that all those who have arrived in India since November 25 and tested positive for COVID-19 must be subjected to spike gene RTPCR test to assess whether they are inflicted with the mutant SARS CoV 2.

23/12/20 New Indian Express

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India Approves Revised Air Bubble With Afghanistan, Philippines

At a time when international flights have been suspended due to coronavirus pandemic, India on Wednesday approved the signing of revised air service agreements with Afghanistan as well as Philippines. An official statement stated that the revised air services agreement signifies an important landmark in the civil aviation relations between India and the two countries. The development comes at a time when India has formed air bubble arrangements with more than 22 countries.

In this pandemic scenario, if a country wants to operate passenger flights to another country, a “bilateral air services agreement” has to be negotiated to decide how many airlines, port of entries and total flights (or seats) per week can be allowed between the two nations. 

As per updates, such a revised agreement can increase greater trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges between India and the two countries in tune with the developments in the civil aviation sector. 

23/12/20 India.com

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India to track down arrivals from Britain to try to stop new virus strain

Mumbai: India plans to track down everyone arriving from Britain over the past month, officials said on Tuesday, hoping to stop a more infectious strain of the coronavirus detected there spreading in a country battling the world’s second highest COVID-19 tally.

Eight people arriving from Britain tested positive for COVID-19 this week and more results are awaited, officials from three Indian cities said. So far none of the infections appeared to be the new strain, a senior government advisor said, while a testing coordinator said analysis was still ongoing.

Recorded COVID-19 infections in India exceeded 10 million at the weekend, second only to the United States. More than 146,000 people in India are recorded to have died from the disease.

The discovery this month of a new more easily transmissible form of the virus in Britain is a particular concern since several hundred people typically arrive at each of India’s major airports from Britain every day.

India will suspend flights from Britain from Wednesday until the end of the month and has been testing passengers.

“To the best of our knowledge, we have yet to spot such a virus in our country, for which intensive efforts are in the offing,” V.K. Paul, a top COVID-19 adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, told a news briefing.

Authorities will track down passengers who arrived from Britain after Nov. 25 and test anyone showing COVID-19 symptoms, according to a government advisory.

Paul said the new strain would have no impact on vaccine development.

22/12/20  Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Devjyot Ghoshal/Reuters

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New coronavirus variant dashes aviation hopes, upsets non-resident Keralites' plans

Thiruvananthapuram: Close on the heels of India deciding to ban flights to and from the United Kingdom after a more infectious and "out of control" coronavirus variant was detected there, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait have decided to suspend all flights, including to India.

The development is a huge blow to non-resident Keralites, upsetting their plans to reach the state during Christmas and New Year. During the lockdown, when NORKARoots started the registration for UK expatriates to come home under the Vande Bharat Mission, as many as 3,813 persons registered.

But many more queued up and 8,108 expatriates finally made use of the opportunity to return from the UK.

The emergence of the new coronavirus variant is set to pour cold water on the hopes of airlines operating from the state.

Oman decided to close down its land, air and sea borders starting Tuesday, while Saudi and Kuwait have suspended all international flights for two weeks from Monday night.

A  senior official with the Air India Express told The New Indian Express the new development is worrying for airline companies in many respects. 

"The new development comes at a time when airline companies have been slowly returning to their feet after a low. Airlines were able to operate as many as 750 flights to six countries last month, which is around half the aircraft utilisation of companies compared to pre-COVID times. Should the situation worsen, it would have a cascading effect on other countries with which India has entered into air-bubble agreements," the official said.

22/12/20 Dhinesh Kallungal/New Indian Express

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Covid-19: Health officials visit Coimbatore Airport to check on passengers with travel history from UK

Coimbatore: A day after India banned flights from the United Kingdom and other airlines from flying in people with a recent travel history to the UK, health department officials visited the Coimbatore Airport on Tuesday to check on passengers, who arrived to the city from UK in the last two weeks.

Since there are no direct flights from UK, the airport officials were asked to check the domestic passengers too with a travel history from the country. They also appeal to people, who arrived from UK in the last two weeks, to quarantine themselves for a week.

The district’s daily count of Covid-19 cases fell below 120 cases and the active cases was below 1,000.

Health officers and district administration said that all measures were taken to prevent another wave of the virus, especially with a different strain.

“Earlier, the Covid-19 cases rapidly multiplied in just a few months. Now, the best way is to ensure all the infected people begin to isolate themselves at the entry point itself,” said deputy director of public health Dr G Ramesh Kumar.

22/12/20 Pratiksha Ramkumar/Times of India

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Passenger from Britain tests positive for Covid-19 in Chennai Airport amidst concerns over new virus strain

Chennai: Concerns have been raised by Tamil Nadu Health Department after a man, who arrived from Britain via transit from Delhi, tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday in Chennai. 

This comes amid fears about a new COVID-19 variant spreading fast in Britain which, as per reports, is 'highly contagious'.

Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, who inspected the Chennai airport on Tuesday morning, said that the passenger's samples were sent to National Institue of Virology, Pune, for genomic analysis to see if the man is infected with the new strain.

Speaking to the media, the state Health Secretary also said that all passengers who came to Tamil Nadu from UK in the last ten days are being traced. The tracing is being done as per e-pass list. 

The COVID positive passenger has been admitted to Covid ward in The King Institute, Guindy. Doctors said that the patient is asymptomatic and is being monitored. 

The case came to light after the state health department tested all passengers who landed in Chennai via Delhi on Monday night. 

The Health Secretary also said that the people need not panic about reports of new strain and the government is taking all steps to prevent it.

22/12/20 Sinduja Jane/New Indian Express

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Mumbai airport says passengers from Middle East, Europe will be subject to institutional quarantine

Mumbai: Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has said all passengers arriving from the Middle East and European countries will be subjected to mandatory institutional quarantine from Tuesday. 

The new rules for the passengers travelling via the Mumbai airport, including those having connected ights, are in line with the directives issued by the state and central governments on Monday, the airport operator said in a release. 

The central government on Monday said all the UK-India ights will be suspended from December 23 to December 31 in view of the emergence of a new coronavirus strain in that country. It also said all passengers coming from the UK on Monday and Tuesday would be compulsorily tested for coronavirus on arrival at airports. 

Separately, the Maharashtra government in a circular on Monday said it has decided to conduct institutional quarantine for all passengers from all over Europe and the Middle East for 14 days after landing at the airport, as well as home quarantine for passengers from other countries. "Eective December 22, passengers arriving from the Middle East and European countries, irrespective of their further travel plans, will be subjected to mandatory institutional quarantine. "Any passenger identied as being symptomatic on arrival will be transferred to designated COVID-19 facility for further evaluation," CSMIA said in a statement. 

 Passengers arriving from these regions will be transported by state oicials to nearby hotels of their preference to undergo institutional quarantine for seven days at their own cost, it added. According to the airport operator, on Monday, CSMIA had four ights - one from Amsterdam and three from London - carrying over 690 passengers; while on Tuesday, there was no ight either arriving or departing from and to London, it said. However, there are ve ights arriving and eight departing to Dubai and one departing for Doha, it added. 

 22/12/20 PTI/Economic Times

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Here is what Delhi Airport plans for flyers from London ahead of India-UK flight ban

New Delhi: India has banned all flights from the UK due to a new strain of Covid-19 virus traced in that country. The most affected will be Delhi-London route since as many as 21 flights in a week are operated even during the pandemic situation. However, Delhi airport (DEL) has a well-equipped Covid-19 testing facility that can test all flyers coming from the UK following guidelines the Central government.

The total cost of Covid-19 testing at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in Delhi is Rs 3,400 which includes testing and lounge. Passengers, who are arriving from the UK and tested Covid positive, will be kept at Vallabh Bhai Patel Quarantine Facility, according to details provided by Genestrings Diagnostic Centre.

Notably, five out of 266 passengers and crew members of a flight, which arrived at Delhi airport from London on December 21 night, have tested positive for COVID-19. The five positive samples have been sent to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for research on the new strain using Next-Gen Sequencing technology which will help understand the implications on ongoing vaccine efficacy, Dr Gauri Agarwal, Founder and Director of Gesntrings lab said.

The second flight landed at 6 am on December 22 and Covid-19 tests are underway for passengers and flight crew members. There are two more passenger flights scheduled for arrival tonight before the cutoff time of midnight. More than 250 out of 470 flyers from the UK underwent RT-PCR test by Genestrings at the Delhi airport, others yet to be tested for the new coronavirus strain.

22/12/20 Debjit Sinha/Financial Express

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Two UK passengers test positive for coronavirus at Kolkata airport

New Delhi: Two passengers from the United Kingdom tested positive for coronavirus after they arrived at the Kolkata airport, health department officials said on Tuesday.

As per a report in PTI, a flight carrying 222 passengers from the UK arrived at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport on Sunday night. "Twenty-five passengers did not have Covid reports with them. So they were taken to a nearby quarantine centre, and their coronavirus tests were conducted. Two of them tested positive," PTI quoted a West Bengal Health and Family Welfare Department official as saying.

According to coronavirus protocols, all international travellers coming to India will have to remain in isolation for seven days.

With help of the airline concerned and the Airports Authority of India, the health department is contacting those who were sitting near the two persons in the flight and requesting them to go for home isolation for two weeks, he said.

"Those who have tested negative for coronavirus on arrival at the airport are being requested to report to the state health department immediately if they develop any symptom of the infection," PTI quoted an official as saying.

22/12/20 India Today

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AirAsia to own only 13% in Tata JV

New Delhi: Malaysian carrier AirAsia will be reduced to a financial investor in its India unit as larger strategic partner Tata Sons initiates consolidation moves in aviation.

AirAsia, which till recently held 49% in its India venture, will see its stake fall to 13% as it prioritises its geographical play after being faced with Covid-induced financial woes. It will retain a low double-digit stake in the India unit as the latter will continue to use the AirAsia brand and other agreements like aircraft maintenance and ticketing-accounting software for some time. Tata Sons, which already owns a significant majority stake (about 75%) in AirAsia India, will see this further go up to 87%.

While the Malaysian carrier has a common website for its operations in different geographies, Tata Sons has started the process to have a separate website for AirAsia India, it is learnt. Its IT subsidiary TCS is also involved in developing a crew-scheduling software.

Tata Sons declined to comment on the report, while AirAsia did not respond to an email sent on Sunday.

“It is not going to be an instant divorce, but a prolonged one,” said sources. AirAsia had said earlier that it was reviewing its investment in India after it ceased flying in Japan. The Malaysian company was the first foreign airline to set up an arm in India in 2013 and the local joint venture marked Tatas’ return to aviation after it ceded control of Air India in 1953. Tata Sons also has another airline venture, Vistara, which has collaboration with Singapore Airlines. It has recently expressed interest in buying state-run Air India (AI).

While Tata Sons’s broader airline integration plan is not clear, it intends to channel the proposed AI acquisition through AirAsia India and not through Vistara. This is because Singapore Airlines is currently not on board for the AI bid due to its own pandemic-induced financial difficulties. So, the AirAsia brand could be retained for about two-three years, depending on how long it takes for Tata Sons to integrate its airlines business into a mega umbrella carrier, said sources.

21/12/20 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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COVID test made mandatory for foreigners arriving at Kempegowda International Airport: K'taka Minister

Bengaluru: Following the new virus found in the United Kingdom and on the instructions of the Union Government, Karnataka Minister for Health Dr K Sudhakar on Monday said that the state government has made it mandatory for foreigners to undergo COVID test and quarantine from Tuesday onwards.

Speaking to journalists here on Monday, he said that the new virus has been found in England, and this virus may be spreading faster than COVID-19.

So far 138 persons have arrived from the UK into the state without the COVID negative report, hence, from Tuesday onwards tests will be conducted at KIA.

He said as per the Centre's guidelines the state government will adopt all necessary procedures and those who are arriving from abroad will have to go for quarantine and will have to mandatorily undergo RT PCR tests.

21/12/20 UNI/India Blooms

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Only three more UK-India flights to arrive before ops ban

New Delhi: Only three flights from UK to India are expected to arrive at national capital's IGI Airport before all operations to the European country is banned till December 31.

Accordingly, Virgin Atlantic's flight -- VS302 -- with over 240 passengers is scheduled to arrive at IGI Airport around 11.15 p.m. on Tuesday.

"The Indian authorities have advised that from 22nd December they will deny entry to passengers travelling from the United Kingdom. This is a temporary measure which the authorities will review on 31st December," the airline said in a statement.

"As a result, we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend our services between London Heathrow and Delhi and Mumbai."

Besides, India's full-service airline Vistara's London-Delhi flight will arrive at 11 p.m.

Additionally, one Air India flight is expected to arrive from London to New Delhi at around 10 p.m.

"The passengers will be subjected to a RT-PCR test at the terminal only. After landing they will be kept at an isolation area till they are subjected to the test," airport sources said.

As per the schedule, no other flights of Air India or British Airways are operating today or beyond the midnight's deadline.

"#FlyAI: In view of GoI directive on suspension of flights to UK, from 22nd-31st Dec'20, Oman & Saudi Arabia both from 22nd-29th Dec '20, Air India is offering passengers booked to travel during the period one-time free reschedule for travel completed within 31st Dec '21. (1/2), (sic)

"(2/2) All Penalties for one-time rescheduling, cancellation, rerouting will be waived for bookings between 22nd & 31st Dec '20. For further assistance in this regard please dial our customer care numbers," the airline said on its twitter handle.

Additionally, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) said: "Yesterday, CSMIA had four flights, one from Amsterdam and three from London carrying over 690 passengers. Today, 22nd December there are Zero flights operating to and from London."

"There are five flights arriving and eight departing to Dubai and one departing for Doha."

"Effective, December 22, 2020: Passengers arriving from the Middle East and European countries, irrespective of their further travel plans, will be subjected to mandatory institutional quarantine; any passenger identified as being symptomatic on arrival will be transferred to designated COVID facility for further evaluation."

"Passengers arriving from these regions will be transported by state officials to nearby hotels of their preference to undergo institutional quarantine for seven days at their own cost."

22/12/20 IANS/Daijiworld

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New worry? 138 flyers from UK slip into Karnataka without COVID-19 test

 Bengaluru: At least 138 air passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, where a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus was reported a fortnight ago, have entered Karnataka after flying in without COVID-19 negative certificates or being subjected to tests on arrival.

With the Civil Aviation Ministry banning all incoming flights from the UK, and the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry issuing directions on Monday to all states and Union territories to put in place testing and quarantine protocols for air travellers on arrival from the UK, the State Government is now tracing these passengers.

The State Government is yet to establish how many such air travellers have arrived in Karnataka from the UK over the past fortnight. 

The state Health and Family Welfare Department on Monday evening issued a circular directing Bengaluru and Mangaluru international airports to provide the lists of passengers who have arrived from the UK from since December 7.

Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar revealed that on Sunday and Monday, of the 291 air passengers who arrived from the UK on a British Airways flight, 49 travelled without COVID-19 certificates, and neither were they subjected to RT-PCR tests. Of the 246 passengers who arrived on an Air-India flight, 89 came without a Covid negative certificate and remained untested. 

22/12/20 New Indian Express

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Alert for passengers arriving in India from UK! Govt issues guidelines to follow upon arrival

After six passengers arriving in New Delhi on Air India’s London-Delhi flight tested Covid positive and concerns rose across the globe over the emergence of a new Coronavirus strain in the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Tuesday issued a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to be followed at the point of entry and in general with respect to all international passengers who have travelled from or transited through the United Kingdom (UK) in the past 4 weeks (between November 25 and December 23, 2020).

See details >>

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Only three more UK-India flights to arrive before ops ban

New Delhi: Only three flights from UK to India are expected to arrive at national capital's IGI Airport before all operations to the European country is banned till December 31.

Accordingly, Virgin Atlantic's flight -- VS302 -- with over 240 passengers is scheduled to arrive at IGI Airport around 11.15 p.m. on Tuesday.

"The Indian authorities have advised that from 22nd December they will deny entry to passengers travelling from the United Kingdom. This is a temporary measure which the authorities will review on 31st December," the airline said in a statement.

"As a result, we have taken the decision to temporarily suspend our services between London Heathrow and Delhi and Mumbai."

Besides, India's full-service airline Vistara's London-Delhi flight will arrive at 11 p.m.

Additionally, one Air India flight is expected to arrive from London to New Delhi at around 10 p.m.

"The passengers will be subjected to a RT-PCR test at the terminal only. After landing they will be kept at an isolation area till they are subjected to the test," airport sources said.

As per the schedule, no other flights of Air India or British Airways are operating today or beyond the midnight's deadline.

"#FlyAI: In view of GoI directive on suspension of flights to UK, from 22nd-31st Dec'20, Oman & Saudi Arabia both from 22nd-29th Dec '20, Air India is offering passengers booked to travel during the period one-time free reschedule for travel completed within 31st Dec '21. (1/2), (sic)

"(2/2) All Penalties for one-time rescheduling, cancellation, rerouting will be waived for bookings between 22nd & 31st Dec '20. For further assistance in this regard please dial our customer care numbers," the airline said on its twitter handle.

Additionally, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) said: "Yesterday, CSMIA had four flights, one from Amsterdam and three from London carrying over 690 passengers. Today, 22nd December there are Zero flights operating to and from London."

22/12/20 IANS/Pioneer

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Air India Agrees To Return Wages To Teamsters After Union Files Suit

New York: Air India, Ltd. has agreed to reimburse members of Teamsters Locals 210 and 781 who work at the company for lost wages after the Teamsters filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), saying the company broke the law.

"This is a billion-dollar enterprise that employs hundreds of workers across the globe, but Teamster members are the only Air India workers who didn't have their wages slashed this year," said Capt. David Bourne, Director of the Teamsters Airline Division. "Pandemic or no pandemic, there is no reason the company can't follow the law and negotiate with us over compensation. We are thrilled that we forced Air India to do the right thing by giving back the wages its workers are rightfully owed, right in time for the holidays."

The 10 percent wage decrease was part of a company-wide response to profit losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The union is currently re-negotiating its collective bargaining agreement with the company at the National Mediation Board and filed suit against the company when it violated the Railway Labor Act and unilaterally took concessions from employees without the union's agreement.

The Teamsters immediately filed suit on the grounds that by unilaterally implementing the pay cut, Air India is imposing a drastic change upon the agreement without the union's consent and without first exhausting the major dispute process, thus violating the status quo obligation imposed upon the defendant by the RLA at Section 2, First and Section 6. The company, accepting that it would likely be ordered to restore pay by the court, agreed to restore wages, including all wages it had unlawfully withheld.

22/12/20 PRNewswire

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