UAE-India airfares see post-Diwali drop, and this could last until early December

Dubai: Airfares on the UAE-India sector are taking an immediate dip after the Diwali peaks, and look set to remain at these levels until second-half of November or early December. For travel after November 11, return airfares on high frequency routes such as Dubai to Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode, Chennai, and Bengaluru are averaging Dh600-Dh800, according to travel aggregator Sky Scanner.

One-way fares to the south Indian city of Kochi are at around Dh300 until November 30, which is among the lowest the route has seen since the post-pandemic travel blitz, explained Sudheesh T. P., General Manager of Deira Travel and Tourist Agency. However, ticket prices for UAE-bound flights average Dh550 from most Indian cities as winter festivities in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah ready for launch in the coming weeks. (This year, there is the added incentive of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, and with stays in the UAE.)

“Most carriers - UAE and Indian - are offering discounts and privileges to attract fliers,” said Sudheesh. “November is considered off-peak, and only when schools close for winter break in December will prices shoot up.”

Airfares on Dubai–Mumbai are averaging between Dh803 to Dh917 up to November 29. An Economy class ticket from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai or Kochi could cost Dh780-Dh800.

Airfares to and from Delhi average Dh919, while on those from Abu Dhabi to Chennai could be Dh890-Dh918. Similar prices are also witnessed from Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah airports.

To meet the rising demand from the UAE, India’s recently privatized flag carrier Air India launched two new flights – Dubai to Kannur in Kerala and Sharjah to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.

26/10/22 Dhanusha Gokulan/Gulf News

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Frankfurt-Bengaluru flight delayed by 36 hours, flyers gear up for legal action

Some passengers who flew Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Bengaluru on October 18 are readying for a legal action as they arrived 36 hours late, and after a long ordeal.

German airline Lufthansa’s flight LH 754 was diverted to Istanbul, Turkey, because of a medical emergency shortly after it took off. About four hours later, passengers were deboarded at the Istanbul airport in Turkey. The flight was then postponed three times, and landed in Bengaluru on the afternoon of October 20. Fliers are upset because they did not get enough on-ground assistance about accommodation and flight status.

About 380 people were on the flight, including two-time Grammy-award winner Ricky Kej from Bengaluru. “No hotel, no staff, no explanation” — He accused the airline of taking “Indian customers for granted” on Twitter.  

Of them, 171 are united on a WhatsApp group, and are discussing options to claim a refund and how to seek legal redressal, says Vasishta Jayanti. He decided to fly out of Istanbul via Muscat on another airline, spending Rs 54,000, in addition to the Rs 73,000 he had paid Lufthansa for the round trip. “Almost everybody in the group has filled out the feedback form we sourced from the Lufthansa website. Maybe one or two have received a response. I haven’t received any,” says the businessman. The Lufthansa website talks of “the right to compensation if your arrival at the destination airport is delayed by more than three hours and the delay cannot be attributed to extraordinary circumstances”.

Together with his brother and three friends, Vasishta plans to file a consumer rights case after the Deepavali holidays. “Since we bought the tickets in India, we hope our laws have something to compensate us not just for the expenses but also the distress,” he says.

Since he had taken a travel policy covering flight delays, he is also talking to the insurance company to see if he can get back the money he spent on the additional ticket.

Unlike Vasishta, Reshmy Prasad has received an email from Lufthansa, offering “payment” in response to her complaint. But she is not satisfied. “They haven’t defined how the compensation would be calculated,” the electrical engineer from Hebbal, who was on a work and holiday trip to Norway, explained.

She is also mulling a consumer case “for the deficiency of services”, including the lack of vegetarian meals on the six-and-a-half-hour flight from Istanbul. “I just ate bread and butter,” she says.

26/10/22 Barkha Kumari/Deccan Herald

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U.K. is ready to support manufacture of Indian jet engines, says British High Commissioner Alex Ellis

Making a strong pitch for joint collaboration, Alex Ellis, the U.K. High Commissioner in India, said what engine maker Rolls- Royce is ready to do and the British government ready to support is the indigenisation of design and manufacture of Indian jet engines something which “I don’t think any other partner in the world has offered up to now”. 

The strong pitch comes as India considers offers from the world’s top engine manufacturers to jointly develop an aero-engine for its future indigenous fighter jets. At the Expo, India and U.K. announced a new defence industry joint working group to strengthen defence collaboration which also held its first meeting.

“What the U.K. brings is high levels of expertise and technology in everything from missiles to engines. What India can bring is huge scale, and of course a significant market. And all has to be done through the prism of Make in India and Make for the World. So, what I’d also like to see is not only British companies tying up with Indian companies but also looking at how they can export,” Mr. Ellis said in a brief conversation with The Hindu at DefExpo. “We’ve seen that on the civil side, I’ll give you one example, JCB now exports from India to over 100 countries around the world. And I think we need to accelerate that work on the defence side.”

Elaborating, he said the governments of India, U.K. have already done scoping of what the future programme might look like and now the next step is for the Indian government to decide what it wants to do in terms of building a more powerful engine. The High Commissioner said that Rolls Royce has capability both in civil and military aviation.

Earlier, U.K. had offered India collaboration in development of aircraft carrier and six generation fighter technologies. Development of a fighter engine is among the top priorities for India, for which it is considering three global engine makers — General Electric of the U.S., Rolls Royce of U.K. and Safran of France — for joint collaboration.

To a question on how the U.K. can support India as its diversifies its military arsenal with emphasis on indigenisation, Mr. Ellis said, “We have seen the kind of disastrous consequences of Russia’s completely unwarranted invasion of Ukraine. And we’ve also seen the effectiveness of Ukrainian response with support from the U.K. and other countries. And that’s what we’re going to see over the next few years, the growth of trust and partnerships between countries like U.K. and India...”

At the Expo, India and U.K. announced a new defence industry joint working group to strengthen defence collaboration, which also held its first meeting.

Pointing out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson met last year and again this year, he said there is a comprehensive strategic partnership because “we want to have a much deeper and more structured relationship”. “And the future, frankly, is a tougher one, both in the Indo-Pacific and also in the European theatre and we can actually gain strength from being together,” Mr. Ellis said.

24/10/22 Dinakar Peri/The Hindu

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Indian national busted trafficking 7.7kg of heroin at RGMI Airport

Bulawayo:  An Indian national has been arrested with 7.7kg of heroin at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, police said on Monday.

Gowada Nabin Chandra, 61, was nabbed on Sunday just before boarding an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa and onward to Mumbai, India.

National police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The suspect was searched at the airport scanning point leading to the recovery of 7.7kg of heroin.”

Early this month, two other suspects intending to board Ethiopian Airlines flights from Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and Victoria Falls International Airport were arrested with a combined 17.2kg of heroin which was hidden in the lining of their bags.

24/10/22 Ntuthuko Zinondo/ZimLive

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Oman Plays Spoilsport In The Israeli Arkia Airlines' Direct India Dreams

Dubai: Call it pressure from Iran or its synonym, Oman has reportedly refused to open its airspace to Israeli commercial flights , despite other Gulf states having opened theirs amid warming relations with Tel Aviv.

The Israeli airline Arkia has been forced to cancel its flights to India and other Asian countries and give customers refunds due to the continued refusal by Oman to allow the Israeli commercial aircraft fly over its territory.

According to a report by the newspaper Israel Hayom on Thursday, Oman decided to keep its airspace closed to Israeli flights, a week after the chief executive of Israel's carrier El Al – Dina Ben-Tal – said that Tel Aviv would receive official permission from Muscat to use its airspace.

That move was expected to be made after Saudi Arabia allowed the Israeli national carrier to fly over its airspace, in order to enable flights to pass directly over the Gulf region en route to destinations such as India and Thailand. "It's not just Saudi Arabia. We need the full route to be approved," Ben-Tal said at the time.

Israeli planes heading to Asian destinations currently have to fly a circuitous route around the Gulf region and over the Red Sea.

Pending any official release on the matter , Muscat's stand on airspace closure to Israeli flights would be the main obstacle preventing Tel Aviv's plans to utilise its planned flight corridor over the Gulf to save time and fuel.

22/10/22 FL360aero

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Emirates puts Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma in the flying seat for the T20 World Cup

Hitman Rohit Sharma bowls over cricket fans as he takes to the field to feature in Emirates’ latest advertising campaign, which will run during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Emirates, official partner of the highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which kicks off in Australia this weekend, has signed up the Hitman for its “Lovers of Cricket” campaign. Rohit will bring to the campaign his facets in the three 10 second films created for the campaign. The first will feature Rohit’s dynamism as a fielder, as he is shown flying through the air to the roar of the stadium as he catches the ball. In the following two versions of the ad featuring the Indian cricket star, his trademark batting is put to the test with a flying jump to the stumps. All three spots cleverly convey the airline’s brand message of excellence – “Don’t just fly, fly better”.

The campaign also features three more versions with two other well-known stars of the game, England’s Phil Salt and Richard Gleeson, who are no strangers to the Emirates logo as players for the Emirates-sponsored Lancashire County Cricket Club. Both Salt and Gleeson can be frequently found “flying” across the pitch at the club’s home grounds – The Emirates Old Trafford – where these latest ads were filmed.

Having built a strong brand connection with cricket fans all around the globe over the years, Emirates directly serves 14 of the 16 nations participating in the seventh edition of the ICC T20 Men’s Cricket World Cup, including 42 flights a week to Australia, and services to over 39 cities in the UK, US, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Ireland.

Emirates’ love affair with cricket goes back 20 years when it became the main sponsor of the Emirates Elite and International Panel of ICC Umpires when the panel was formed to officiate Test Matches and One Day Internationals around the world. In 2007, it became the official Airline and Global Partner of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The airline also sponsors the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held in India next year.

Alongside the Umpires, Emirates sponsors the Elite and International Panel of ICC Match Referees, which also sees Emirates featured on their official kit. Along with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Emirates also supports the Women’s T20 World Cups and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup as well as the World Test Championships Final in 2023.

22/10/22 APN News

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High air freight charges: Kerala fruit, vegetable exporters losing market

Kochi: Despite facing a deep economic crisis, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh have been posing a tough challenge to Kerala-based vegetable and fruit exporters in the GCC and European markets. According to exporters in Kerala, there has been a 40-50% decline in exports compared to the pre-Covid times. Reason: the steep hike in air freight charges and the 18% GST imposed by the Union government.   

Vegetables and fruits from South India are primarily exported to GCC and European countries and the customers are mostly Indians. Countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are dumping their products in these countries while Indian exporters are not able to compete due to competitive pricing. According to industry sources, the daily export of fruits from Kerala which stood at 275 tonnes, has declined to 175 tonnes due to low demand.

“The air freight charge which was in the range of Rs 35 to Rs 50 per kg during the pre-Covid times, has doubled to Rs 75 to Rs 100. Meanwhile, the Union government has imposed 18% GST on air freight. This has forced us to hike prices of our products in the export market. The same products are dumped in the global market at cheaper rates by Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This has led to a decline in demand for our agri products. An exporter who used to export 35 tonnes of vegetables a day have been forced to bring down the export volume to 15 tonnes,” said All Kerala Exporters Association secretary M Abdurahiman. “China is dumping garlic and ginger in the market at cheap rates.

22/10/22 Manoj Viswanathan/New Indian Express

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Sikh man flaunts 'bhangra' moves while welcoming his friend at London's Heathrow Airport

Chandigarh: Staying abroad away from family is sometimes strenuous but the entire melancholy subsides when we get to see either our kin or close friends paying visit to us. The testimony to this got witnessed at London’s Heathrow Airport when a man breaks into Bhangra while welcoming his friend.

The video of this sweet and heartfelt gesture is doing the rounds on social media where a Sikh man after noticing his friend enters the lane of passengers moving towards exit. The duo upon reaching in close proximity starts grooving in bhangra style only to end the salutation pomp in a big hug.

Since being shared, the video has enmassed over 15,000 likes. Twitterati is out-and-out enamoured by the sweet gesture.

22/10/22 Tribune

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flynas Offers Direct Services From Mumbai To Riyadh And Dammam

Saudi low-cost carrier flynas has started offering direct flights to India's commercial hub Mumbai from Riyadh. The airline has been robustly expanding its flight network lately, adding several destinations in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and Mumbai's addition is part of its larger growth plan.

flynas has started connecting Saudi Arabia with Mumbai (BOM) by offering direct flights to the Indian city. On October 20th, the airline flew its first scheduled service to Mumbai from Riyadh (RUH).

The carrier deploys its Airbus A320 on the route, which has a scheduled departure from Riyadh at 20:20 and a scheduled arrival in Mumbai at 03:05. This will be a daily service.

flynas will also offer direct flights between Dammam's King Fahd International Airport (DMM) to BOM from October 30th. The four-times-a-week service will be offered on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Mumbai has recently seen new flights to the Middle East by other airlines as well. On September 22nd, IndiGo started flying between BOM and Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT), which was also its 100th destination. Ras Al-Khaimah doesn't have many nonstop options from India. Calicut International Airport (CCJ) in Kerela is the only Indian airport with direct connectivity to RKT. The route is served by Air India Express with twice-weekly flights on Tuesdays and Fridays.

IndiGo also announced a direct flight between Mumbai and Istanbul (IST) from January 1st, 2023, on top of its existing Delhi (DEL)- Istanbul flight. Recently, Vistara also began flying between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi (AUH) with a once-daily service.

21/10/22 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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GE Aerospace's Indian supply chain grows to 13 companies

Bengaluru: GE Aerospace announced its Indian aero-engine supply chain this week and has grown to 13 companies plus GE's Pune multi-modal manufacturing facility. 

Indian companies are becoming globally competitive for a growing body of high-value, complex aero-engine manufacturing work. Marquee Indian companies* including Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Aerostructure and Godrej have set up GE aero-engine component production lines. These components are exported from India to GE's engine manufacturing facilities.  Hindustan Aeronautics has established an assembly line for GE's LM2500 marine engine that power India's newest first indigenous aircraft carrier, the Vikrant. These growing capabilities coincided with GE Aerospace's increase in local sourcing spend, which has grown 20 times in the last five years.

GE Aerospace and its Indian partners are in the process of establishing the aero-engine manufacturing infrastructure India needs to achieve its self-reliance goals (locally known as 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'). "Indian companies have a keen willingness to partner with GE Aerospace and to join the aero-engine marketplace. They have demonstrated the ability to master the complex manufacturing and special processes required for aero-engine manufacturing while simultaneously maintaining focus on quality," said Youngje Kim, Vice President, Sales for Asia at GE's military aviation division.

To support its growing Indian aero-engine manufacturing industrial base, GE Aerospace is pursuing an aggressive skill development program for manufacturing workforce in India. Over the past two years, this GE-funded program trained more than 150 manufacturing staff at the various partner organizations, and these trained workers have then gained employment with one of several GE suppliers in India.  "GE's Indian skill development program when combined with our growing Indian industrial base is a testament to our support of Make in India," added Kim.

21/10/22 PRNewswire/PTI

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As Air India advertises flights to London Heathrow and Vistara gets a foot in the door, a fight is looming for the remaining slots

Operations to London Heathrow have been the darling of Indian carriers. From Jet Airways, Air Sahara and Kingfisher Airlines to Vistara, getting a foot in the door at London Heathrow has been an immensely challenging, yet worthwhile task.

Apart from its old charm, the sheer traffic and ability to monetise the slot at Heathrow after a few years have been attractive for airlines.

As Air India -- now a private entity -- advertises its 42 weekly flights and Vistara gets a permanent slot at London Heathrow, all eyes are on what IndiGo and SpiceJet do.

Both airlines have in the past filed for slots at London Heathrow. SpiceJet had come very close to launching flights, having started the sale of seats as well, before it pulled out.

In more ways than one, the next few seasons will seal the deal for London flights to occupy the space vacated by Jet Airways, which once had a strong footing at London Heathrow.

Air India will operate 42 weekly flights to London Heathrow but the slots scattered across the day are presenting its own challenges. Pre-COVID, the airline had operations from Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad.

The Ahmedabad flight continued to New York, which was later changed to add Bengaluru-London Heathrow flights. The airline has approval for 56 weekly flights, as was the case pre-COVID as well. This means the airline could potentially add 14 more flights in the season.

These are currently planned with double daily from Delhi, 12 weekly from Mumbai, four weekly each from Ahmedabad and Amritsar, thrice a week from Goa and Kochi and twice a week service from Hyderabad. With this, it competes with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic but with a challenge -- split slots!

The schedule on the route shared by travel data provider OAG Aviation, exclusively for this article, shows how fragmented the Air India schedule is. Air India has monopoly operations to London Heathrow from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Kochi and Goa. British Airways, likewise, has a monopoly to Chennai.

21/10/22 Ameya Joshi/Moneycontrol

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Aviation Major Boeing's Push To Make India Regional Repair Hub

Gandhinagar (Gujarat): Boeing has announced a significant expansion of its partnerships within the Indian Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) ecosystem over the last year and said that the MRO to support Indian customers efficiently, remains a top priority for the company. 

Boeing has concluded considerable work agreements and deliveries with diverse indigenous partners across the public as well as private sectors, including AI Engineering Services Ltd., Horizon Aerospace, and Air Works Group.

According to an official statement, in 2021, Boeing launched the Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) program in its effort to help develop India into a regional MRO hub, enabling engineering, maintenance, skilling, repair and sustainment services of defence and commercial aircraft in India, for India.

Under the initiative, Boeing has strategically collaborated with Air Works, to recently complete Phase 32 heavy maintenance checks of six P-8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Navy.

The company has also collaborated with AI Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), for MRO of the Boeing 777 VIP aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force, and the P-8I aircraft fleet operated by the Indian Navy. Additionally, the company is exploring collaboration in repair and overhaul of landing gear and other commercial common 737NG equipment fitted on the P-8I fleet.

21/10/22 ANI/NDTV

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Argentina seeks HAL helicopters, high-level team to look at Dhruv, Prachand and LUH

A high level team from Argentina is arriving soon in India and will visit state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to look at the helicopters which are being manufactured in Bengaluru. The team will be looking at Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand and the HAL Light Utility Helicopter (LUH).

Diplomatic sources have confirmed to Financial Express Online on the sidelines of the ongoing DefExpo 2022 “There is a big delegation from the South American nation Argentina is coming – could be later next week. They have expressed their interests in helicopters which have been indigenously designed and developed and manufactured by HAL.”  Adding, “The team that is coming will also have test pilots.”

Financial Express Online has reported recently that in the recent visit to Argentina, HAL executives also met with the President of the Fábrica Argentina de Aviones (FAdeA), the Argentine counterpart. HAL may explore a deal where certain parts are manufactured locally in Argentina. Either way, HAL’s helicopter lineup is what interests the incoming high-level team.

In the Argentine Air Force search for a fighter combat aircraft, HAL’s Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas is the front-runner in the race.

For Argentina, India is a natural defence partner. Not only do the two nations share the challenges posed by diverse geography, but they also have independently faced the brunt of international sanctions. While India has recovered from the sanctions and embarked on an Atmanirbharta campaign, Argentina still relies entirely on imports.

The Dhruv is a utility helicopter and as of 2022, 335 helicopters have logged over 3, 40,000 flying hours. Ecuador was the first country in the region to buy this helicopter from HAL, however after facing gross fatality, the machines were retired from Air Force Service of that country.

21/10/22 Huma Siddiqui/Financial Express

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India-Bound Lufthansa Boeing 747 Diverted To Istanbul

A Lufthansa plane performing a flight between Frankfurt and Bengaluru had to make an unscheduled landing in Turkey due to a medical emergency. The aircraft was stranded at the airport for more than 24 hours before it could depart for its eventual destination.

Lufthansa flight LH754 is a scheduled service between Frankfurt (FRA) and Bengaluru (BLR) in South India. The airline deploys a Boeing 747-400 on the route, with a scheduled departure of 13:05 and an arrival time of 01:25. The flight time is a little over 8 hours.

On October 18th, the aircraft departed Frankfurt behind schedule at 13:55. As it settled for its journey ahead at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet and was passing over the Black Sea in Turkish airspace, a medical emergency onboard forced it to turn back and head towards Istanbul.

According to FlightRadar24.com, the 747 (registered D-ABVX) landed in Istanbul (IST) at 18:55 local time.

According to reports, passengers of the diverted flight began to get restless as the stopover took more time than expected. One of the passengers told Deccan Herald that “there was no official communication from Lufthansa for almost 30 hours,” following which they were told that the delay was due to a technical issue. She added,“There are mothers travelling alone with the infants, elderly couples who can’t walk, don’t understand or talk in English or Kannada. There are people here with no access to their medicines."

The nature of the medical emergency was not made public, but reports suggest that it required the flight crew to use oxygen cylinders on the aircraft, and this was the reason cited by Lufthansa for the additional delay.

In a statement, the airline mentioned,“For safety reasons, the oxygen cylinders used to treat the medical emergency must be replaced before continuing the flight. Unfortunately, this (took) more time than originally expected. The flight continuation from Istanbul to Bangalore is now scheduled for 8 pm local time Wednesday (October 19). Lufthansa deeply regrets the circumstances and is doing everything to minimise the inconveniences for its passengers.”

20/10/22 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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What US Said On Pulitzer-Winning Journalist Being Stopped At Delhi Airport

Washington: The United States is aware of reports of Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo allegedly being prevented from travelling to the country, a State Department official has said.

Sanna Mattoo had on Tuesday said she was stopped at the IGI Airport in Delhi from flying to the US to received the prestigious award.

“We are aware of the reports of Ms Mattoo being prevented from travelling to the US and are tracking these developments closely,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference.

“We are committed to supporting press freedom. And as the secretary has noted, a shared commitment to democratic values, including the respect for the independence of the press, is a bedrock of the US-India relationship,” he said.

“But I don't have any other specifics to offer… we are tracking this closely,” Patel said in response to a question.

Mattoo, a freelance photojournalist, was part of a Reuters team that won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for their coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic in India.

20/10/22 NDTV

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Visa delays inhibiting recovery of air traffic between India & UK: Virgin Atlantic’s Alex McEwan

Virgin Atlantic expects international traffic between India and the UK to grow even more once visa issues between the two countries are resolved, the airline's India head Alex McEwan told Moneycontrol.

McEwan said that despite the delays in visa approvals, most of Virgin Atlantic's India-UK flights have been operating with high passenger loads, but added that the market could grow even more once these issues were resolved.

He added that corporate travel between the two countries was back to pre-Covid levels, and that India had emerged as the third-largest market for Virgin Atlantic, after the UK and the USA.

Edited Excerpts >>

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Rolls-Royce supports 'Make-in-India' vision, shows interest to make fighter jet engines in the country

Rolls-Royce, the British aviation and aerospace conglomerate has reiterated its commitment to support India’s vision of self-reliance in defence, through collaboration opportunities to co-design, co-develop and co-produce fighter jet engines in the country. Rolls-Royce is presenting its advanced defence capabilities and future-ready technology solutions at the DefExpo 2022 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, which is scheduled to take place from 18th-22nd October. With more than 16,000 military engines in service spanning across 160 customers in 103 countries, the company is a powerful player in the defence aerospace engine market.

The company will also familiarise customers and potential partners with its technologically superior offerings for naval defence, including full-electric propulsion solutions and the power-dense MT30 marine gas turbine for aircraft carriers, frigates and destroyers.

For naval customers at DefExpo, Rolls-Royce will be showcasing solutions including full electric propulsion (IFEP) as well as other offerings such as the MT30 - the world’s most power-dense marine gas turbine in service today with destroyers, frigates and aircraft carriers. MT30 offers a superior power-to-weight ratio, generating up to 40MW from a 30-tonne packaged unit, and offers ship designers much more options and flexibility in designing the naval vessels of tomorrow.  

For the past nine decades, Rolls-Royce has been serving the Indian armed forces with technology products and solutions to power land, naval and air defence capabilities. Rolls-Royce’s Power Systems business will be also showcasing its advanced solutions for naval and land defence at the expo.

Kishore Jayaraman, President, India & South Asia, Rolls-Royce, said, “As India takes steps to realise its vision of ‘self-reliance’ in defence, we believe we are well positioned to help leapfrog this journey through meaningful partnerships for co-creation of engine technologies. True self-reliance will come when such a partnership not only results in Intellectual Property (IP) ownership in India, but shared creation of capabilities in-country to indigenise defence technology in the future.”

19/10/22 Zee News

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Emirates to celebrate Diwali on all flights to India from October 23-28

Emirates will be honoring Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, on board its flights to Indian cities between October 23-28, 2022.

To celebrate Diwali, passengers traveling to and from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and the following cities will be treated to a selection of Diwali sweets and desserts:

• Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD)
• Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) 
• Cochin International Airport (COK)
• Chennai International Airport (MAA)
• Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
• Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD)
• Trivandrum International Airport (TRV)
• Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU)
• Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) 

Emirates said that economy passengers will be given a serving of traditional motichoor laddu (round shaped, chickpea-based delicacies) with their hot breakfast.

Meanwhile, first and business class passengers will be offered mixed nut tribooj garnished with edible silver leaves. 

19/10/22 Jean Carmela Lim/Aerotime Hub

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Hans Airways appoints Verma as UK sales manager

Start-up carrier Hans Airways has appointed Seema Verma to the role of UK sales manager as the company gears up to launch services between the UK and India.

The airline has also announced a move into a new office at Birmingham airport where the commercial team, headed by chief commercial officer Martin Dunn, will be based.

Hans Airways, which is planning to fly from Birmingham to secondary cities in India, has announced that Amritsar in northern India will be its first destination. The company aims to start services within one month of receiving its AOC (Air Operator’s Certificate) from the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Verma will work with TMCs as part of her role to promote Hans Airways’ flights to corporates and business travellers. The airline will offer a two-class configuration with both economy and premium economy cabins. 

She said: “Delivering and building relationships is crucial in such a people-focused business and the culture of Hans Airways, which is positioning as a community airline, has that at its heart.”

17/10/22 Rob Gill/BTN Europe

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Pandemic-hit airlines touch skies again: India much ahead of China, Japan

More than 142 million domestic passengers flew in India in April-August 2019. This sizable figure, however, suddenly fell to a mere 15.7 million amid the pandemic-induced lockdown in the same period of 2020.

As restrictions eased, it rose to 48.2 million during April-August 2021 and sharply bounced to 125.1 million in the corresponding period of 2022. While this is still below pre-pandemic levels, the trend of recovery has been quick.

Aircraft movement during April-August 2021 was 47 per cent less than the corresponding period in 2019. However, it was only 4.6 per cent less than 2019 in April-August 2022.

Domestic revenue of India’s airlines in August 2022 stood 13.7 per cent lower than in the same month in 2019. Airlines’ domestic revenue in Australia, Japan, and China remained 14.2 per cent, 16.4 per cent, and 37.8 per cent lower respectively during the same period, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The revival in India’s airlines is despite the dramatic rise in jet fuel prices. Jet fuel prices rose by more than 70 per cent during the first six months of 2022, marking one of the steepest increases since at least 2002. For context, the rise in jet fuel prices was much sharper than the rise in crude oil prices.

“For airlines, the increase in jet fuel prices represents a major challenge as this cost typically accounts for 20 to 25 per cent of total operational costs,” IATA said in a report.

17/10/22 Samrat Sharma/India Today

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Indian man wrongly detained at Abu Dhabi airport over mistaken identity, lands in Delhi

An Indian man from northern Uttar Pradesh state was wrongly detained at Abu Dhabi airport, UAE, after officials erroneously found his face matching with one of the wanted criminals through face recognition software.

After being questioned extensively for hours over a mistaken identity case on October 11, he was deported to India in the early hours of Sunday.

After landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport, he was greeted by well-wishers and media personnel, to whom he narrated his ordeal.

Praveen Kumar, who works as a contractor for a cement company in Noida, and his wife Usha were on a week-long leisure trip to Switzerland and had a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi.

He stated that the company he works for had arranged the Switzerland trip for him, which was organised by a travelling agency.

The agency had booked a connecting flight from Abu Dhabi as the direct flight to Switzerland was not available.

But after landing at the airport, the immigration authorities seized the couple’s passports and visas and then took them to a separate room for questioning.

“They kept me overnight and forced me to accept that I was someone else and put me in a holding cell in the morning. Then, they took me to a different city, where I was detained and questioned for hours,” Kumar told ANI news agency.

After news of the couple’s detention came to the fore, their family members tweeted to India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and other senior officials of the ministry seeking help.

Gautam Buddh Nagar District Magistrate SL Yathiraj told ANI that the family had submitted an application to get him released, following which the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Embassy and the state's Home Ministry were apprised.

16/10/22 Wion

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Emirates will launch daily flights to the South Indian city of Bengaluru, serviced by its flagship A380 jumbo plane.

Set to commence on October 30, the capital of Karnataka will become the first city in the region, and only the second city in India, to be served by the world's largest passenger aircraft, following the launch of the Dubai-Mumbai route in 2014.

Emirates’ A380 flights between Dubai and Bengaluru will operate as EK568 and EK569. The daily flight will leave Dubai at 9.25pm local time, arriving in Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport at 2.30am local time the next day. The return flight departs Bengaluru at 4.20am local time, arriving in Dubai at 7:10am local time.

The Dubai airline will operate its three-class A380 aircraft on the route, featuring its first class service with amenities such as the shower spa and onboard lounge, business class cabins and spacious seats in economy class.

Emirates already operates two daily flights between the cities, via a Boeing 777 aircraft.

To mark the launch, Emirates flight EK562 took off on Friday from Dubai International Airport at 10am and landed in Bengaluru at 3:40pm local time. On board the special flight were 224 passengers, including Emirates executives Adnan Kazim, the chief commercial officer, and Ahmed Khoory, senior vice president of commercial operations — West Asia and Indian Ocean.

The flight was greeted by ST Somashekar Gowda, Minister of Cooperation, Government of Karnataka; Ahmed Abdul Rahman AlBanna, ambassador of the UAE to India; Hari Marar, managing director and chief executive of Bangalore International Airport Limited; and Mohammad Sarhan, Emirates’ vice president — India and Nepal.

“The special relationship that we share with Bengaluru and the state of Karnataka is one of mutual growth and prosperity and we are delighted to introduce A380 services to this vital gateway for travellers in South India," Kazim said.

15/10/22 David Tusing/National

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Indian Navy’s Dornier-228 conducts night landing trials at Agatti airfield

Kochi: In a move to improve air connectivity to Lakshadweep islands, the Navy’s air squadron conducted night landing trials at Agatti airfield on Thursday night. A Dornier-228 aircraft of the Naval Air Squadron successfully carried out maiden night landing at Agatti.

As part of the trials, multiple approaches and landings were carried out from both sides of the runway to validate suitability for operations. The successful night trials would pave way for future operations of Dornier-228 aircraft from Agatti by night which will boost the Navy’s efforts to conduct round-the-clock maritime surveillance, the Navy said in a release.

Located 460 km west of Kochi in the Arabian Sea, the Agatti atoll houses the lone airstrip available in the archipelago.. The Southern Naval Command took the initiative for night landing in coordination with Airport Authority of India and Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

15/10/22 New Indian Express

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Singapore Airlines to launch Airbus A350-900 services to Hyderabad

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced the beginning of A350-900 medium-haul wide-body planes facilities from Hyderabad to Singapore on Friday. The SIA will fly daily between Hyderabad and Singapore, with A350 flights on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

On October 30, the first ever service SQ 523 will depart from Hyderabad International Airport at 2310 hours. According to a Singapore Airlines press release, the airline will continue to operate its B737-8 narrow-body services for the rest of the week.

"We are delighted to enhance our services to Hyderabad with our wide-body A350 aircraft. This is a significant milestone for us as it reinforces our commitment to the market, more so after SilkAir's integration with Singapore Airlines a year ago," said Sy Yen Chen, General Manager India for Singapore Airlines.

"In line with the company's commitment to product and service excellence, the Airbus A350 medium haul aircraft, combined with our award-winning inflight service, will provide enhanced comfort to travellers from Hyderabad. Furthermore, the introduction of a wide-body aircraft on this sector also opens up a wider range of opportunities and capabilities for SIA Cargo," he said.

"From 30 October 2022, Singapore Airlines will restore 100 per cent of its pre-pandemic frequency from India, and will operate 96 flights weekly from eight cities across the country," the release said.

14/10/22 Economic Times

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Aeroflot Boeing 777 flight from Moscow evacuated in Delhi after bomb threat

An Aeroflot Boeing 777 passenger plane carrying 400 people on board made an emergency landing at a Delhi airport following a suspected bomb threat, according to reports by Indian media.  

The incident took place late on October 13, 2022, when the 7.5-year-old Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER [extended range, ed.-], registered RA-73144, was performing flight SU232 between Moscow, Russia, and Delhi, India. According to flight history found on Flightradar24.com, the plane took off from Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) at around 7.03 p.m. (UTC). There were 386 passengers and 14 crew members on board the flight.  

According to The Hindu BusinessLine, at 11 p.m. local time, the Central Industrial Security Force of India (CISF) received a warning letter claiming that “bombs [were] planted on board [the] Russian flight”.  

In response to the potential bomb threat, the aircraft’s flight crew performed an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). The plane touched down at the destination at 3.20 a.m. local time, more than five hours after take-off.  

Once the RA-73144 landed, passengers and crew members were immediately evacuated, a senior officer at the CISF confirmed to the media.  

The local authorities performed a detailed plane inspection, but fortunately the bomb threat appeared to be false.  

14/10/22 Gabriele Petrauskaite/Aerotime Hub

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SIA in talks over potential Vistara, Air India merger

Singapore Airlines has confirmed that it is in talks with India’s Tata Group over a potential merger of Vistara airline and the troubled national carrier Air India.

The confirmation comes amid Indian media reports that Tata, having completed its acquisition of a 100 per cent stake of Air India, was looking at merging it with Vistara.

Tata has a 51 per cent stake in Vistara, while SIA holds 49 per cent.

“The discussions seek to deepen the existing partnership between SIA and Tata, and may include a potential integration of Vistara and Air India,” SIA said in a statement to the Singapore Exchange.

“The discussions are ongoing and no definitive terms have been agreed upon between the parties.”

It is unclear what stake, if any, SIA would have if Vistara merges into Air India, or whether fresh funds would be needed for the ailing Air India group.

The SIA statement noted that any deal would need the green light from Singapore’s competition watchdog and the authorities in India.

Vistara was established in 2013, giving the SIA group a stake in India’s fast-growing aviation sector.

India has strong domestic and international traffic flows, which are tipped to more than double over the next 10 years.

The International Air Transport Association has noted that India will become the third largest aviation market in the world – including international and domestic traffic – by around 2024.

14/10/22 Ven Sreenivasan/The Straits Times/ANN

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At Mumbai airport, an Ethiopian national travelling to India was detained with 16 kg of gold

According to officials on Thursday, the customs division at the airport in Mumbai detained an Indian national who was carrying 16 kg of gold worth Rs. 8.40 crore.

The man was travelling to Mumbai from Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.

Mumbai customs had previously detained seven people in total and seized 15 kg of gold worth Rs 7.87 crore in four cases and foreign currency worth Rs 22 lakh in two separate cases on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the customs official.

In the first instance, security personnel at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) used intelligence to track down and apprehend an Indian national who had boarded Emirates flight EK 500 from Dubai carrying 9.895 kg of gold worth Rs. 5.20 crore.

A unique chest belt with nine pockets that was discovered wrapped around the chest and shoulder held the gold. The Indian national disclosed that two Sudanese travellers gave him the gold in Dubai. Also stopped and apprehended was the passenger from Sudan.

14/10/22 The Live Nagpur

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Man, 69, arrested at OR Tambo International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth over R1m to India

Durban: A 69-year-old man is expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Friday following a bust at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.

According to Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Netshiunda, the man was found in possession of eight kilograms of heroin, with a street value of around R1.2 million concealed in his travelling bag.

“Counter Narcotics Intelligence Head Office, Organised Crime Narcotics Head Office and K9 Unit West Rand operationalised intelligence information and intercepted the suspect as he attempted to board a flight destined for India,” Netshiunda said in a statement.

The accused has been charged with possession and dealing in drugs.

The arrest comes less than a month after a multidisciplinary team arrested a 52-year-old man for drug trafficking following a bust at King Shaka International Airport.

In a statement, Hawks spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo, said the man was found with just over six kilograms of cocaine, valued at around R2.2m in his luggage. The man was believed to have been on his way to the Philippines. He has since appeared in court and investigations continue.

13/10/22 Se-Anne Rall/IOL

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Just for a taxi fare, fly to Prague and Trivandrum

Muscat: Budget airlines attempts to lure passengers by attractive fares are common these days. Oman’s budget airline, Salam Air, is now offering travellers fares that would match a taxi fare from Muscat International Airport to Muttrah.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Salam Air said that they offer travellers fare to Prague, a popular tourist European destination and the capital of Czech Republic, for as low as OMR 22. The promotional one-way fares are on offer with terms and conditions and are valid from October 21-28.

The other destination is the south Indian city of Trivandrum. With a similar promotional fare as OMR 22, one could book a flight. There are terms and conditions for the promotional fares and the offer is for a limited time.

Salam Air is the first low-cost carrier based in Oman. The airline was established in 2016 and offer low-cost flights, convenient travel options, and a verity of exciting destinations worldwide.

It is also the first operator in the sultanate to introduce the Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft. The current fleet consists of six A320neo and two A321.

12/10/22 Times of Oman

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With India-China direct flights unlikely, students bank on alternative routes

With a recent media reports indicating that direct passenger flight services between India and China are unlikely to resume unless Beijing makes changes in its policy of sudden cancellation of scheduled flights whenever passengers test positive for Covid on arrival in Chinese airports, Indian students who have taken admissions in Chinese universities primarily for medicine are already making their plans to go to the East Asian country through alternative routes.

More than 23,000 Indian students have made China their preferred study destination but with the latter’s stringent restrictions on travelling to and from the country coupled with a quarantine policy, the journey remains impossible.

Reeba Khan, who is a medical student hailing from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, has already booked her flight tickets to Hong Kong where she will have a three-day stay before boarding another plane to China.

“I am travelling to Hong Kong and have already booked a hotel room which costs me INR 20,000, which is cheaper compared to countries like Sri Lanka where the cost is going up to INR 1,70,000 for some students apart from the expenses in the country,” said Reeba, who is travelling to the Chinese special administrative region along with 11 other students hailing from states across India.

Before the Covid pandemic, students were able to avail of direct flights to China by spending Rs.16,000 but the uncertainty-infused decision to make use of third routes has proved to be costly for them.

12/10/22 Abhishek Nair/Free Press Journal

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IndiGo adds direct flights between Mumbai, Istanbul to strengthen connectivity

In order to strengthen international connectivity, IndiGo has introduced direct flights between Mumbai-Istanbul. These new routes and additional frequencies will enhance international connectivity between India and Turkey.

Talking about the new flights, Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, "In line with our vision to strengthen international connectivity from India, we have launched a new connection between Mumbai- Istanbul. This will enhance international capacity and offer more options to the consumers.

He said that Istanbul is famous for its rich history, culture and prominent center of trade and commerce.

The introduction of direct flights will further bolster the airlines international connectivity. The sale of the tickets has commenced for the daily airline service that will start from Jan 1, 2023.

All customers who wish to plan their travel can book tickets from the official website of IndiGo.

12/10/22 India Today

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IndiGo Launches Direct Mumbai-Istanbul Flights

India’s largest airline IndiGo has announced another new connection – between Mumbai and Istanbul – for which it has started accepting bookings. The new route will be in addition to IndiGo’s existing Delhi-Istanbul flights and explore the airline’s codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.

IndiGo has announced that it will add a direct flight between Mumbai (BOM) and Istanbul (IST) from January 1st, 2023, in its bid to strengthen international connectivity. Ticket sales have already started for the flight, which will enhance connectivity between the two countries, as IndiGo already has a codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines.

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, commented, “In line with our vision to strengthen international connectivity from India, we have launched a new connection between Mumbai- Istanbul. This will enhance international capacity and offer more options to the consumers.”

12/10/22 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Singapore Airlines Could Have Stake Dilution Following Air India-Vistara Merger

Among the many things for the Tatas Group to consider while consolidating its airline business is managing the existing shareholding structure of its carriers. And discussions with Singapore Airlines are likely to feature significantly in the coming few months. SIA owns a significant portion of the full-service carrier Vistara, which is reportedly in the process of seeing its business merge with Air India (AI).

India’s full-service airline Vistara is a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA). SIA partnered with the Tata Group years before the Air India deal took shape, to tap the promising domestic market in India, and owns 49% of Vistara.

But Tatas’ plans of a merger to consolidate the business have made SIA look at the enterprise in a new light to see how the changes affect its original plan.

Earlier this year, Singapore Airlines had asked the Tatas to wait for some time before taking any decisions about the merger. Both the Tatas and SIA have discussed such possibilities, and SIA had reportedly even agreed to join the Tata bid for Air India but, because of the pandemic, decided to back out.

Now, unless SIA puts more money into the enterprise, its share in the combined AI-Vistara entity is likely to fall significantly. A person aware of the matter told The Times of India (TOI), “It all depends on how much SIA would like to hold in the merged entity and will be based on the combined enterprise valuation.”

The report notes that under the existing rules, another airline could have a stake in Air India as long as the Tatas continue to hold at least a 51% share.

11/10/22 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Ethiopian Airlines chalks out 15-yr strategic plan

Hyderabad: International flight carrier Ethiopian Airlines reiterates continuation of its thrice-weekly passenger flights from Bengaluru to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. It takes the opportunity to thank the trade and travel fraternity for its success of flights from Bengaluru and Chennai to Africa, America and Europe. Speaking to Bizz Buzz, Addissu Ermias, Traffic and Sales Manager, South India, Ethiopian Airlines, said: "Ethiopian is a multi-award-winning airline registering an average growth of 25 per cent in the seven years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. The entire aviation industry suffered during the pandemic and we are not an excuse for that. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in coming years."

Srinivasan Jayaseelan, Regional Manager South India, Ethiopian Airlines, STIC GSA, said: "We see Hyderabad as an emerging city among south Indian cities. This country provides immense opportunity for Ethiopian Airlines to spread its wings and we look forward to make Hyderabad as a gateway to facilitate trade, investment and tourism to/from the Indian sub-continent."

Bengaluru, which is dubbed as the Silicon Valley of India is serving as the centre of technology and innovation. The nonstop service between Bengaluru and Addis Ababa is being carried out using B738 /B787 Dreamliner aircraft. The airline also operates 10 weekly flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and thrice-weekly flights from Chennai.

10/10/22 Mamidi Manoj Kumar/BizzBuzz

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Direct flights between Baku and Mumbai are set to commence

Baku) — Flights between Baku and Mumbai, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, will be launched in November 2022. The flights are scheduled to fly twice a week – on Wednesdays and Saturdays from Baku to Mumbai, and on Thursdays and Sundays from Mumbai to Baku.

“The increase in the number of Indian tourists arriving in Azerbaijan has prompted us to create a more convenient environment with another direct flight between the two countries,” said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of the Azerbaijan Tourism Board. “According to the statistics, more than 36,000 Indian tourists visited Azerbaijan from January to September of this year. With strong cultural and historical touchpoints between both countries, with a simplified electronic visa process that can be done in under three hours, and of course with direct flights, we aim to welcome many more Indians to discover Azerbaijan.”

At the moment, citizens of more than 100 countries can travel to Azerbaijan. To enter the country, Indian citizens need to apply for an e-VISA throughevisa.gov.az at least three days before their planned arrival date to Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan offers myriads of experiences for tourists. The capital Baku is a vibrant cosmopolitan city that has both contemporary and ancient architecture, great nightlife, and restaurants with delicious local food.

There are lots of cultural and historical points of familiarity between the two nations. Azerbaijan is a safe family-oriented destination that is supported by a rich history that dates back 5000 years and a composite culture that has evolved with the passing through of travelers along the Great Silk Road. The fire-worshipping Zoroastrians left their mark at Ateshgah, where the Fire Temple continues to amaze visitors with its spouts of flames and inscriptions in Sanskrit adorned by 19th-century Hindu merchants.

08/10/22 Content Media Solution

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Five youngsters from Telangana stranded in Dubai airport

Rajanna-Sircilla: Five youngsters, including four from the Rajanna-Sircilla district and one from Nizamabad, were stranded at the Dubai Airport as authorities reportedly refused to allow them board a flight to return to India.

The youngsters on Sunday sent a video message to their family members and friends explaining their ordeal. They requested IT Minister KT Rama Rao to take steps to help them return home. Gugulot Aravind from Veernapalli mandal headquarters, Peddolla Swamy from Narayanpur of Yellareddypet mandal, Anil from Chandurthi mandal and B Ramulu from Konaraopet mandal of Rajanna-Sircilla district and Narender from Narsingpalli, Mopal mandal of Nizamabad were those stranded.

According to the video message, they faced a lot of problems after joining a company in Dubai. Unable to work in the company, they decided to return to India and booked flight tickets with the help of their family members. However, at the airport, officials allegedly sent them out of the airport and tore their tickets. They were facing troubles due to lack of food and water during the last three days, they said.

According to their family members, the five youngsters had joined a Dubai-based company after attending interviews with the help of Gulf agents in Sircilla, Vemulawada and Nizamabad and went there some time ago. They questioned the company management as they were not provided the jobs as well as salary promised at the time of interviews. However, the company authorities registered a police case against them saying they were creating nuisance by consuming liquor.

As the youth continued their protest even after registration of the police case, the management promised to allow them to return to their native places if they arranged tickets for themselves, following which they bought tickets with the help of their family members. Company staff left the youth at the airport and handed over their passports.

However, before boarding the flight for India on Saturday night, they were not allowed onboard the flight as a police case was registered against them. Surprised over this, they tried to contact agents and company authorities but in vain. As agents and company were not responding to their phone calls, they informed their family members and sent the video message.

09/10/22 Telangana Today

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Ethiopian Airlines showcases service network linking India

Hyderabad: Ethiopian Airlines hosted a seminar for its travel partners in India. Acknowledged as the largest aviation group in Africa, the airline showcased its service network across India and multiple destinations in Africa, the Americas and Europe.

The airline said it operates to 130 plus international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. It claimed an average growth of 25 per cent in the seven years prior to Covid-19.

Addissu Ermias, traffic and sales manager, south India, while thanking the travel fraternity present, said, “After humble beginnings, Ethiopian Airlines is now Africa’s most profitable air carrier, which also enjoys a 4-star certification. We have initiated Vision 2035 for the growth of our network.”

Srinivasan Jayaseelan, regional manager, south India, STIC GSA, took the audience through the history of the airlines and aspects like hospitality and visa.

Anju Wariah, director, group business development, STIC Travel Group, said, “Hyderabad has always been welcoming. Our tie-up with Vistara and Air India provides seamless connectivity from Hyderabad to Bengaluru.”

08/10/22 Bansari Trivedi J/Deccan Chronicle

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THAI expands flights to India

Bangkok: Thai Airways International hosted a networking conference last week under the theme “THAI Networking – INDIA”, attended by local travel and cargo agencies.

THAI Director of Sales Korakot Chatasingha led the networking conference with representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of South Asia, the Middle East and African Affairs, India Thai Chamber of Commerce, Department of International Trade Promotion and the Ministry of Commerce.

THAI presented its Winter Traffic Programme 2022-2023 featuring more flights on routes to India during the 75th anniversary year of Thai – Indian diplomatic relations.

Flights on the Bangkok – Hyderabad route will resume on 30 October and to Kolkata on 1 January 2023. In addition, the network will gain more flights later this month. New Delhi will have 22 flights and Mumbai 11 flights. Daily flights will be reintroduced to Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The airline will offer 61 weekly flights from Bangkok to six destinations in India.

06/10/22 TTR Weekly

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Turkish Airlines makes emergency landing in Calcutta after passenger falls ill

A Turkish Airlines plane flying from Istanbul to Singapore made an emergency landing in the Calcutta airport on Thursday after a 69-year-old passenger fell seriously ill mid-air, an official said here.

The elderly passenger suffered from bouts of convulsions and was bleeding from the nose and mouth, the official said.

Seeing his condition, the pilot of the Turkish Airlines flight TK-054 decided to make an emergency landing at the NSC Bose International Airport in Calcutta.

After getting approval from Air Traffic Control, the flight landed at 11.45 AM.

The sick passenger was initially treated at the airport and he was taken to a hospital later, the official said.

The plane with all other passengers resumed its journey at 2.52 pm, he said.

06/10/22 PTI/Telegraph

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India’s SpiceJet to fly to Sri Lanka from Nov 15

India’s Spice Jet will begin flying to Sri Lanka from November 15, boosting arrivals from India while Russia’s Aeroflot will also return from October 09, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said.

Sri Lanka has carried out a promotional campaign in India taking 50 travel industry representatives to key cities to talk to Indian travel industry representatives, he said.

IndiGo Air is already flying to Sri Lanka, he said.

Air India has also doubled frequencies, Fernando said.

The moves are expected to boost arrivals from India.

India became the top generator of tourism after Sri Lanka scrapped visas to the country about 20 years ago. Now visas to Sri Lanka is easily available online. 

06/10/22 Economy Next

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Landing permission issued for Mahan flight: Indian embassy

Tehran:  The Embassy of India in Tehran issued a statement regarding the media reports about the bomb threat Iran-China passenger plane, saying that an emergency landing permit has been issued.

After the release of reports on an alleged bombing threat onboard a Mahan Airlines flight over India and a request for an emergency landing, the Indian Embassy in Tehran in a statement announced that the Air Traffic Control in New Delhi was informed of a bomb threat to abroad Mahan air flight from Tehran to Guangzhou by Captain of the flight while overflying Indian airspace in Rajasthan, and he requested permission to land in New Delhi. 

In view of the emergency, clearance was immediately given and the captain of the aircraft was advised to proceed and cleared to land at the nearby airport of Jaipur (Rajasthan), it added.

The statement continued that the captain, however, chose not to land in Jaipur and instead opted to continue the onward journey to its final destination.

04/10/22 Mehr News Agency

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Vietjet announces 'Monday Sale', offers BIG discounts on international flight tickets between India-Vietnam

Vietjet airline, today announced the upcoming holiday season's "Monday sale" on all of its foreign routes. By using the discount code "HELLOVIETNAM," Indian travellers can now receive a 20 percent discount on tickets for international flights to Vietnam every Monday from now through December 19, 2022. Customers of Vietjet who travel between October 10, 2022, and September 18, 2023, can easily plan their holidays, work trips, or visits to loved ones at reasonable prices. When booking and paying through Vietjet SkyClub, passengers are also exempt from payment fees. Also soon to be deployed on international flights is the "Fly now - Pay later" programme, which enables a quick and simple 3-minute online check-in. 

Having a wide flight network across Asia and ready to conquer new destinations in Europe and Australia, Vietjet operates hundreds of flights per day with convenient schedules, welcoming all passengers with a modern and new fleet, friendly and professional cabin crews, fresh and hot meals from characteristics of global culinary culture, health care products and services, travel insurances, accommodation facilities and utilities for tourists together with unique cultural and artistic performances in flights.

From this October, most of the countries in the region have reopened to welcome people and tourists; Vietnam has also welcomed international tourists, especially with the visa-free policy of up to 30 days for tourists to come and stay in Phu Quoc. 

05/10/22 ZeeNews

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Nigerian held with 160gm heroin in Gurugram

Gurugram: A Nigerian, who was involved in drug peddling, was arrested by a crime unit of the Gurugram Police with 160 grams of heroin.

The estimated cost of the contraband is said to be around Rs 30-40 lakh.

The accused, identified as Fernando Benz (28), was arrested from near the Kherki Daula Toll plaza by a team led by Sub-Inspector Amit Kumar, in-charge of the Farrukhnagar crime unit.

During the investigation, it was revealed that the accused had been illegally residing in India for the past six months as his visa had already expired.

The police said the accused came to the city to deliver consignment to some drug peddler in Gurugram when he was nabbed. He had been smuggling drugs for the past six months in Delhi.

A case under the NDPS Act and Foreigner Act has been registered against the accused at the Kherki Daula police station in Gurugram.

04/10/22 IANS/Daijiworld

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DRI seizes over 5 kg gold worth Rs 3 crores at Coimbatore airport

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 5.6 kg gold worth Rs 2.94 crores at Coimbatore airport on Monday.

The DRI officials intercepted six passengers at the Coimbatore airport on the basis of specific intelligence gathered.

The passengers brought gold in concealment from Singapore to Coimbatore by Scoot Airlines flight on October 3, in their baggage.

The gold, brought by the passengers, was in the form of crude chains and bangles. The gold was recovered from their pant pockets, underwear and baggage.

The DRI officers arrested two passengers named Mohammed Afzal (32) of Chennai whose seized value exceeded one crore and hence non-bailable offence is remanded in Coimbatore Prison under Judicial Custody.

05/10/22 Akshaya Nath/India Today

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Three Kenyan women held in Mumbai over drug trafficking

Three Kenyan women were arrested at India’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in separate cases of smuggling of cocaine and heroin valued at about Sh25 million.

The latest incident happened on Sunday, when one Kenyan was intercepted with 980 grammes of white coloured powder that was later found to be cocaine and valued at Sh5 million.

Another Kenyan national had earlier on the same day arrived there from Addis Ababa and when a search was conduced on her, a packet containing 5.16kg of white powder suspected to be heroin was seized, officials said.

Local media cited customs officials, saying another Kenyan had on September 29 tried to smuggle 490 grammes of cocaine, concealed in her footwear.

The seized cocaine valued at Sh2.4 million was found concealed in a special cavity made in her footwear.

The customs officials said the incident happened when on secret information, the woman, who arrived from Kenya, was intercepted at the Mumbai airport.

"The customs had received information that a woman from Addis Ababa who was arriving from an Ethiopian airline flight was allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine in a special cavity made in her sandals,"an official said. 

The woman was instructed to wait for a caller to handover the drugs.

The officials are trying to get details about her handlers. Meanwhile, the court has remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days.

One is likely to face up to 10 years in jail upon conviction for drug trafficking. Kenyan officials termed the trend alarming.

04/10/22 Star

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Bengaluru lad denied boarding Lufthansa flight over transit visa

Bengaluru:  The family of 23-year-old Neel is distraught as he couldn’t board his flight at Bengaluru to join his first job as chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Glasgow. Lufthansa airline staff stopped him at Kempegowda International Airport, insisting he should have a transit visa along with the UK visa, as the flight passes through Frankfurt.

Neel’s business class ticket cost Rs 65,000 for travel on September 26. The family is forced to shell out Rs 1 lakh now, and book another ticket on British Airways. His mother Kiran Kalra, an international fashion curator, told TNIE, “It was not highlighted anywhere on the website at the time of booking the ticket on September 6, that the Schengen visa was mandatory. The flight has a two-hour stopover at Frankfurt airport, and passengers continue their trip by Lufthansa only. If this was the case, then ticket booking should not have been allowed to go through. It was not just my son but at least ten others in the queue behind him with Business Class tickets who were also not allowed to go through for the same reason,” she said.

“I am trying to bring the issue into the limelight to create awareness, so that other families don’t suffer like us,” Kalra said. Having completed his graduation in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu, Neel got the job offer. “It is an incredible opportunity as not many Indians get their first job in a Michelin-starred restaurant,” Kalra added.

 The family of 23-year-old Neel is distraught as he couldn’t board his flight at Bengaluru to join his first job as chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Glasgow. Lufthansa airline staff stopped him at Kempegowda International Airport, insisting he should have a transit visa along with the UK visa, as the flight passes through Frankfurt.

Neel’s business class ticket cost Rs 65,000 for travel on September 26. The family is forced to shell out Rs 1 lakh now, and book another ticket on British Airways. His mother Kiran Kalra, an international fashion curator, told TNIE, “It was not highlighted anywhere on the website at the time of booking the ticket on September 6, that the Schengen visa was mandatory. The flight has a two-hour stopover at Frankfurt airport, and passengers continue their trip by Lufthansa only. If this was the case, then ticket booking should not have been allowed to go through. It was not just my son but at least ten others in the queue behind him with Business Class tickets who were also not allowed to go through for the same reason,” she said.

“I am trying to bring the issue into the limelight to create awareness, so that other families don’t suffer like us,” Kalra said. Having completed his graduation in Culinary Arts from Le Cordon Bleu, Neel got the job offer. “It is an incredible opportunity as not many Indians get their first job in a Michelin-starred restaurant,” Kalra added.

04/10/22 New Indian Express

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Customs officers nab Uganda woman with drugs worth Rs 8.03 crores at Chennai airport

 Chennai: Customs officers at Chennai airport seized drugs worth Rs 8.03 crores from a female passenger from Uganda on Monday, October 3. The drugs were hidden inside the inner layers of a carton box she was carrying.

Based on reliable information, officials intercepted a woman from Uganda named Noeline Nampeera, who had come to Chennai from Addis Ababa via Ethiopian Airlines.

Upon checking her baggage, the officials found 1.756 kg of methaqualone and 1.431 kg of heroin. Together, the drugs are reportedly worth 8.03 crores on the international market.

The narcotics were found concealed in the inner layers of a corrugated carton box. The contraband was seized under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (NDPS) Act, 1985 read with Customs Act, 1962. The woman has also been taken into custody and further investigations are underway.

04/10/22 Akshaya Nath/India Today

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Bomb threat on Iran-China flight while in Indian airspace, IAF jets scrambled

The Indian Air Force (IAF) scrambled fighter jets after security agencies received information of a possible bomb on board an Airbus A340 aircraft, operated by Iranian carrier Mahan Air, early Monday, when the plane was in Indian airspace.

The information was received when the aircraft was around 200 km west of Delhi. According to sources, the passenger aircraft was on its way from Tehran to Guangzhou in China when an alert was triggered.

“On October 3, 2022, intimation was received of a bomb scare on an airline bearing Iranian registration, when it was transiting through Indian airspace. IAF fighter aircraft were scrambled, which followed the aircraft at a safe distance. The aircraft was offered the option to land at Jaipur and then at Chandigarh. However, the pilot declared his unwillingness to divert to either of the two airports,” the IAF said in a statement.

The aircraft initially started its descent from its cruising altitude of 35,000 feet to 21,000 feet while in a holding position, around 200 km west of Delhi. It then exited the holding position after nearly 45 minutes, and climbed back to 35,000 feet before flying westward.

“After a while, intimation was received from Tehran to disregard the bomb scare, following which the aircraft continued on its journey towards its final destination. All actions were taken by IAF as per the laid down procedure, jointly with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The aircraft was under close radar surveillance by the Air Force throughout the Indian airspace,” the IAF statement said.

Citing a Mahan Air statement, Iranian news agency IRNA reported that as soon as the pilot was alerted about the possibility of a bomb attack, he informed the control tower and requested an emergency landing in India.

03/10/22 Pranav Mukul/Indian Express

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Atlanta Airport Officials Meet With Indian Airline Leaders Amid Aerospace Mission

Officials from Atlanta airport recently engaged with industry leaders in India to discuss, among other things, possible direct connections to the city from India. The talks come at a time when there's renewed interest in increasing flight frequency between the two countries from various airlines, most notably Air India. But while several US-India airport combinations have been considered recently, Atlanta has largely been ignored.

Last month, officials from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) visited India to discuss trade opportunities and, possibly, having non-stop connections to the city from India.

The four-day India Aerospace Mission, led by the US International Trade Administration, was attended by Atlanta airport's General Manager Balram Bheodari, Deputy General Manager and Chief Commercial Officer J'Aimeka Farrell, and International Affairs Director Alrene Barr, who joined 15 organizations visiting the cities of Delhi and Hyderabad.

According to Global Atlanta, the visit included ATL officials meeting several people from the industry, such as the GMR Group, an infrastructure company that also deals with MRO facilities, as well as executive leaders for several India-based airlines to discuss mutual growth opportunities.

03/10/22 Gaurav Joshi/Simple Flying

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Jazeera Airways enhances its presence in the India market

Jazeera Airways, based in Kuwait and a leading low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East, continues to support an expanding network of routes. Jazeera Airways currently flies to over 50 destinations operating a reliable fleet of Airbus A320neo and A320ceo aircraft.

With the return of international travel in 2022, the airline is going forward with its expansion plans offering affordable travel across the Middle East, Central & South Asia, North Africa and Europe.

Jazeera has been established in the India market for five years and now has a strong pan-India presence with six destinations, namely Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kochi and Chennai. Later this year two additional routes will be added to Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru.

Jazeera Airways is responding strongly also to the 2030 Vision that is driving growth in travel to Saudi Arabia. Jazeera is working closely with the Saudi Tourism Authority to support the marketing of eight routes they currently operate into the Kingdom.

The growth plan constitutes Romana Parvi, Regional Manager – South Asia engaging in showcasing knowledge about products and its offerings and exchanging business ideas by participating at various travel trade marts like TTF Ahmedabad, BLTM Delhi and OTM Mumbai.

03/10/22 TTJ

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Russian Hacker Detained At Delhi's IGI Airport For Alleged Involvement In JEE Exam Scam

In a key development, the Central Bureau of Investigation detained a Russian from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday, October 3. The foreign national, who is presently in detention and being interrogated by the sleuths, had a Look Out Notice against him for his alleged involvement in a massive online examination hacking racket.

Nine months back, i.e., in January, the Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell had busted a massive online examination hacking racket and arrested six people who with the help of Russian hackers had developed software to hack computers at examination centres remotely. According to police, the accused sent a link to a software named ‘Ultraviewer’ to gain access to the laptop at the examination centre. The laptop’s access was then given to a “solver”, who helped the candidate by providing correct answers in the test.

"Reports back then had quoted KPS Malhotra, DCP (Cyber Cell), as saying, “Our investigation shows that the gang helped over 500 candidates clear JEE and other entrance tests and 18 candidates clear the GMAT exam. We received information about their illegal activities as they were charging a hefty amount.”

The gang, as per police, took Rs 8-10 lakh from a candidate for JEE exams and Rs 6-8 lakhs for GMAT exams. They made money to the tune of Rs 50-60 crore.

03/10/22 Sudeshna Singh/Republicworld

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Air India to Introduce 20 More Weekly Flights to Birmingham, London and San Francisco

Air India will introduce 20 additional weekly flights to Birmingham, London, and San Francisco in the next three months as the Tatas-owned airline seeks to strengthen its international presence. With 5 additional flights a week to Birmingham, 9 additional flights to London, and 6 additional flights a week to San Francisco, more than 5,000 additional seats will be offered every week to customers, the carrier said in a release on Friday.

The airline’s current schedule of 34 flights every week to the UK will now go up to 48 flights. Birmingham will receive extra five flights per week, three from Delhi and two additional from Amritsar. London will receive nine additional weekly flights, of which, five are from Mumbai, three from Delhi, and one from Ahmedabad.

Together, seven Indian cities will now have non-stop Air India flights to the UK’s capital, the release said. Air India’s flights to the US will increase from 34 to 40 per week.

It will connect Mumbai with San Francisco with a triweekly service, and reinstate a triweekly Bengaluru operation. With the additions, Air India will have 16 weekly flights from the current 10, with non-stop service from Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. According to the release, the additional flights, which will be introduced in a phased manner from October to December this year, are part of the airline’s ongoing endeavor to reclaim its position as a leader on the international aviation map.

Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson said as the airline reinvents itself under the Vihaan.AI transformation program, adding frequency and improving connectivity from major Indian cities to more international destinations is a significant focus. “This sizeable frequency increase to the US and the UK, as well as the addition of new city pairs and improved aircraft cabin interiors, comes just 10 months after Air India’s acquisition by the Tata Group. It is a clear signal of our intent, and an early step towards a much bigger aspiration," he said.

01/10/22 PTI/News18

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'Ravan Was The First Aviator': How Sri Lanka Sees The Ramayan

The Ramayan continues to evoke passions in the faithful on both sides of the religious and cultural divide. Ram is worshipped by millions of Hindus as the embodiment of light while Ravan symbolises darkness and evil. But this version of Ravan is as contested in Sri Lanka as in several parts of south India. Ravan is a heroic figure in Lanka, a great warrior and a compassionate monarch endowed with superior intelligence.

There are also people who claim that Ravan was the first to fly a plane centuries before the Wright brothers did. His Pushpak Vimana was the world’s first aircraft. In fact, the Sri Lankan government 2020 funded a project to be taken up by the nation’s civil aviation authority to search for evidence of Ravan's aircraft and aerial routes. 

“King Ravan was a genius. He was the first person to fly. He was an aviator. It’s not mythology; it’s a fact. There needs to be detailed research on this. In the next five years, we will prove this,” Shashi Danatunge, the former vice-chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, was earlier quoted by local reports. He said that the government had irrefutable facts to prove that Ravan was the first person to fly an aircraft.

In the Buddhist-majority nation, Ravan is more of a cultural than a religious or political issue.  Sri Lankan expert S Sathya Moorthy says: ``Hindu Tamils of Jaffna are mainly Shaivites and are not followers of Ram, though among the Indian origin Tamils living in the central highlands there are temples dedicated to Sita.’’

The British took several residents of Tamil Nadu as indentured labourers to work in tea plantations. It is said that the temple in Sita Eliya, where Indian Tamils are concentrated, marks the place where she was kept by Ravan during her captivity. 

Sita Eliya is a favourite destination for Indian tourists visiting the island state.  In fact, a stone from Sita Eliya will be used in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. 

01/10/22 Seema Guha/Outlook

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