India's SpiceJet mulls Goshawk, De Havilland settlements

SpiceJet is reportedly working towards settling a lawsuit filed by Irish lessor Goshawk and its trustee Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin), a subsidiary of the American holdco M&T Bank Corporation, and is also edging closer to an out-of-court settlement with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada over a separate court case.

Goshawk and Wilmington had allegedly tried to block the planned spin-off of the budget carrier's cargo and logistics business, SpiceXpress and Logistics Private Ltd, to a separate company, a source close to the matter told the Indian financial daily Mint. The agreement paves the way for the airline to complete the transfer by January 2022.

Goshawk leases three aircraft to SpiceJet, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, namely two B737-8s and one B737-800. But when the carrier announced the spin-off, the lessor approached the High Court of Delhi to halt the process until about USD16.2 million in outstanding leases had been paid, the sources explained. SpiceJet and Goshawk had already been embroiled in a case at the High Court of Justice in London over debts owed.

The Delhi court issued an interim order in September restraining the debtor from "transferring or alienating its assets to the tune of the decretal amount" and the court was to have heard the case again on November 29. The SpiceXpress "slump sale" would generate INR25.56 billion rupees (USD340 million) for the debt-encumbered carrier which, it claimed, would "wipe out a substantial portion" of its negative net worth.

The development comes after the airline revealed earlier this month that it had settled with Boeing over outstanding claims related to the grounding of its B737 MAX fleet. According to unconfirmed sources cited by the Times of India on November 29, SpiceJet will be given two B777-200(ER)s as part of the compensation for the thirteen B737-8s it has so far taken delivery of and were grounded for around 19 months. The airline has begun the process of hiring pilots for these two widebodies, the airline's first, and will use them for long-haul passenger or cargo flights depending on the Covid situation.

Meanwhile, talks between SpiceJet  and De Havilland over the non-payment of dues for the delivery of fourteen DHC-8-Q400s are at "advanced stages" and are likely to be resolved in the coming weeks, "people in the know" told the Business Line newspaper on November 30.

De Havilland had asked Delhi High Court to force SpiceJet to pay USD42.9 million in damages awarded - and then upheld earlier this year at the High Court of Justice in London - over a 2017 purchase agreement for twenty-five of the Dash 8 turboprops, claiming the airline paid for and took delivery only five of them and halted pre-delivery payments for most of the remainder.

30/11/21 ch-aviation

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IndiGo renews its partnership with French hospitality group Accor

Budget carrier IndiGo on Monday said it has renewed its partnership with French hospitality group Accor. Through this partnership, IndiGo's 6E Rewards members can now avail a 15 per cent discount, when they book directly with Accor and earn up to 6 per cent 6E Rewards as feature partner on any spends across Accor properties in India, Sri Lanka and participating hotels in Maldives, IndiGo said in the release.

These offers are also valid at the newly-launched Accor properties in Udaipur, Chandigarh and the most recently launched property at Vikhroli, in Mumbai, it added.

"We are pleased to extend our partnership with Accor to offer enhanced benefits, as we strive to offer the best service to our customers every single day," said William Boulter, Chief Commercial Office, IndiGo.

Through this partnership, Accor and 6E Rewards will be putting forward exclusive offers to members in addition to the other benefits across hotel stays, dining and events, as per the release.

Besides, 6E Rewards members can also earn additional reward points on hotel stays and dining by signing on to Accor's ALL - Accor Live Limitless - loyalty program, it added. 6E is the airline code for IndiGo.

"With our recent additions to our loyalty program - Accor Live Limitless - we now provide a range of extended offers on social gatherings as well as business events. This partnership consequently aligns our collective vision to provide our guests a memorable experience," said Jad Doumet, VP Partnerships, India, Middle East and Africa; and Turkey.

A leading global hospitality Group, Accor has more than 5,100 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries.

29/11/21 PTI/Economic Times

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Omicron: India adds Bangladesh to list of ‘at risk’ countries

Bangladesh has been added in a list of "at risk" countries from where travellers would need to follow additional measures, including RT-PCR test on self-expenditure, on arrival in India against the backdrop of rising concerns over the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The other countries in the list updated today, by the Indian Health Ministry, are the countries in Europe including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

Under the revised guidelines released today by the Indian Health Ministry for international arrivals, passengers from these "at-risk" countries will undergo RT-PCR test post-arrival and quarantine if tested negative and stringent isolation protocols if tested positive, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The passengers on arrival must submit sample for Covid-19 test on their own expenditure and they will be required to wait for their test results at the airport before leaving or taking a connecting flight.

If tested negative, the passengers will follow home quarantine for seven days and subject themselves to re-test on the eighth day of arrival in India. Also, if tested negative, these passengers will further self-monitor their health for the next seven days.

However, if such travellers test positive, their samples would be sent for genomic testing -- to confirm for Omicron variant -- at India's consortium laboratory network and they would be kept at separate isolation facility and treated as per laid down standard protocol, including contact-tracing.

The contacts of such positive case would be kept under institutional quarantine or at home quarantine monitored strictly by the concerned state government as per laid down protocol.

International travellers arriving through seaports or land ports will also have to undergo the same protocol except that facility for online registration is not available for such passengers currently.

Such travellers would have to submit the self-declaration form to the concerned Indian authorities at seaports and land ports on arrival.

Children under five years of age are exempted from both pre- and post-arrival testing. But if found symptomatic for Covid-19 on arrival or during home quarantine period, these children will have to undergo testing and treated as per laid down protocol.

According to the new guidelines, contacts of the suspect case are the co-passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind along with identified cabin crew.

29/11/21 Daily Star

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Omicron blows off all itineraries, fliers and travel companies left stranded

The government’s announcement on resuming international flights and subsequent retrieval of it on concerns about a new coronavirus variant have got travellers, airlines and travel companies in a tizzy even as airlines have started flights to Singapore under a new deal.

Portals such as Cleartrip and Ixigo said they are flooded with passenger queries on new testing and quarantine rules in India and possibilities of travel bans by other countries.

“We have seen a spurt in queries on international travel over the last few days,” Prahlad Krishnamurti, chief business officer at travel portal Cleartrip, told ET. “We expect this to persist over the next few weeks as governments adapt their rules based on the impact of the new variant being reported.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has termed the Omicron mutation, first detected in South Africa, as ‘variant of concern’ that poses “very high” global risk, prompting several countries to impose travel restrictions.

Meanwhile, IndiGo, Air India, Vistara and Singapore Airlines on Monday resumed daily flights between India and Singapore under the new ‘vaccinated travel lane’ (VTL) agreement – a Singapore initiative that allows vaccinated travellers to enter both countries quarantine-free. Singapore, though, deferred VTL deals with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on concerns about the Omicron.

The travel industry has adopted a wait and watch stance over the new development.

“This is a reality, the new normal that we will all have to accept. As not enough data is available on the new variant, we are awaiting more details from our health authorities,” said Madhavan Menon, chairman and managing director of Thomas Cook, India. “While we have received a couple of cancellations, this is clearly not a trend.”

Rajesh Magow, group CEO of Makemytrip, said it is too early to assess and quantify the potential impact on international travel from India. “At MakeMyTrip, we are continuing to keep a close watch on the evolving travel guidelines and we would encourage travellers to adhere to all travel protocols and practice COVID-safe behaviour at all times,” he said. “Our teams are working closely with airline partners to ensure that guidelines for domestic and international travel are updated real time on the website and the app.”

An executive working for a travel and tours company said they were getting cancellations for South Africa and queries on protocol changes for other countries. “Travellers are asking us for updates and about changes in protocols in other countries. We are trying to apprise them of our flexible terms and policies in case they would like to change their plans.”

On Sunday, the government tightened rules for incoming international passengers and decided to review its plan to resume international flights from December 15 that it had announced on Friday.

According to the latest guidelines, all incoming passengers will have to submit travel plans for the next 14 days and upload a negative Covid-19 report on a state-run portal that maintains real-time air travel data.

Passengers from 14 countries including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel will have to undergo RT-PCR test on arriving.

Meanwhile, Japan has shut its borders on air travel, while many countries including Mauritius have tightened restrictions on travellers from South Africa.

Under the new VTL agreement with Singapore, Air India will operate seven flights a week from Delhi and two from Mumbai, Vistara will operate two flights from Mumbai, and Indigo will operate seven flights from Chennai. Singapore Airlines will start daily VTL services from Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

SIA will also resume non-VTL services daily from Kolkata, four times weekly from Bengaluru, three times weekly from Hyderabad and Kochi, and once a week from Ahmedabad, an airline spokesperson said.

Airline executives reported a rise in bookings and “healthy loads” on flights.

Detection of the Omicron variant comes at a time when travel demand has been on the rise.

“Pent up travel demand continues to be strong despite high occupancy and rates/air fares, and our domestic demand is even higher than pre-pandemic levels,” said Menon of Thomas Cook. “With a calibrated reopening of international commercial flights, we look forward to increased capacity and rationalisation of fares – creating a healthy pipeline towards recovery in 2022.”

Top India executive at a European carrier that operated more than 50 weekly flights to India before the pandemic said, “Demand has been consistently growing since August.” He said the government is “being prudent” in restricting travel instead of shutting it down again. Even if international travel were to resume today, going back to pre-Covid capacity would take more than a year, he said.

An executive working for a top hotel chain that runs hotels in India and overseas locations such as Maldives, the UK, South Africa and the UAE said considering the year-end season, the demand was exceeding even pre-Covid levels in some destinations over the last weekend.

30/11/21 Anirban Chowdhury & Anumeha Chaturvedi/Economic Times

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Cathay Pacific’s new Economy fares offers Indian customers more choices, flexibility

Mumbai: Cathay Pacific has redesigned its Economy fares, offering Indian customers greater choice and flexibility when booking flights. The airline has introduced new and simple-to-understand Light, Essential and Flex fares that are tailored to customers’ travel needs and will be introduced in India on November 30, 2021.

Each fare brand offers more control and extensive benefits, from enhanced baggage allowances to flexible rebooking and upgrade options. Additionally, the consistent and clearly defined attributes associated with each fare type provides more visibility for customers on what they are purchasing, helping them choose the fare that suits them best.

Cathay Pacific will also progressively introduce the redesigned Economy fares across the network in phases.

Light fares enable customers to enjoy great value when they have confirmed travel plans and are travelling light. One piece of checked-in luggage is included and customers can pay for additional luggage and other benefits like seat pre-selection after their booking is made.

Essential fares offer the perfect balance of everything customers need, such as an extra piece of luggage, seat pre-selection and the option to upgrade using Asia Miles. This fare type is ideal for those travelling with family, heading for a longer trip or simply seeking more comfort and convenience.

Flex fares give customers maximum flexibility for their next business trip or holiday, with full control over their travel plans as and when changes are needed. Greater convenience and peace of mind is assured.

Cathay Pacific Regional Head of Marketing and Sales, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Anand Yedery said, “We understand our customers’ travel preferences have changed over time and that no two journeys are the same. Our aim has always been to develop and provide offerings that are in line with what they are looking for. The new fare categorisations allow our customers to choose the fare that resonates best with them, whether that is value fares, having the flexibility to opt for an earlier flight, or upgrade using Asia Miles. We are confident these changes will provide our customers with even greater choice, flexibility and value when they fly with us.”

29/11/21 Business Line

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Over 2,17,000 Flights Operated Under Vande Bharat Mission: Civil Aviation Ministry

New Delhi: The Minister of State in the Ministry Of Civil Aviation Gen. Dr. V. K. Singh in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Monday informed that more than 2,17,000 flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission this year.

“During the global Covid-19 pandemic, the Government of India has undertaken the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indian nationals and also to facilitate travel of passengers between India and various parts of the world,” MoS V. K. Singh said.

“As on 31.10.2021, more than 2,17,000 flights have been operated under Vande Bharat Mission and over 1.83 crore passengers have been facilitated. State-wise distribution of inbound and outbound passengers may be seen at Annexure-A,” he said.

“The operations under Vande Bharat Mission were commercial operations by the airlines and air fares were paid by passengers. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not provided any subsidy/grant for the Vande Bharat Mission,” he added.

29/11/21 Pragativadi

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India-Singapore Flights Commence Under The Vaccinated Travel Lane

New Delhi: Flight services between India and Singapore under the Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) commenced on Monday even as Singapore deferred similar travel arrangements with some countries amid the 'Omicron' scare.

Vistara and IndiGo said they have started operating flights to Singapore, while there was no comment from Air India. VTL allows quarantine-free travel to Singapore for fully vaccinated travellers.

"There is no change as of now in terms of our Singapore operations - our first flight went at 1:50 am today," a Vistara spokesperson said.

While there is no change as of now, the spokesperson said the situation is being reviewed and a decision will be taken accordingly.

"We can confirm that we are operating our flight on Chennai-Singapore as per schedule," an IndiGo spokesperson said.

Last week, Singapore Airlines also announced that flights to and from India will resume from November 29. There was no immediate comment from the airline on Monday regarding the services.

Various countries have imposed travel curbs in the wake of the emergence of the new COVID variant ''Omicron''. India too will review its decision to resume scheduled international passenger flights from December 15 on the basis of the evolving scenario. Earlier this month, Singapore and India agreed on resuming scheduled commercial flights between the two countries under the VTL from November 29, with six designated flights daily from Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai.

Vistara, last week, said it would operate Airbus A320neo/A321neo planes five times a week between India and Singapore starting from November 29.

Meanwhile, Singapore has deferred VTL arrangements with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as a "precautionary move" to reduce the risk of importation and spread of 'Omicron'.

29/11/21 PTI/NDTV

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Situation Being Closely Monitored Regarding 'Further Decision' On Int'l Flights Resumption: Scindia

On November 26, the government decided to restart scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from December 15. These services remain suspended since March 23 last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, on November 28, the government said the decision to resume the services will be reviewed in the wake of the cases of people getting infected with the COVID variant 'Omicron' in different parts of the world.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, Scindia said the decision to resume the flights from December 15 was taken after recognising the increased vaccination coverage across the globe, changing nature of the pandemic and considering the health protocols, which have been put in place for international arrivals.

"However, in view of the evolving global scenario with the emergence of new variants of concern, the situation is being closely monitored and reviewed in consultation with other Ministries, with regard to taking any further decision on the issue," the minister said.

Currently, international passenger flights are being operated under bilateral air bubble arrangements with various countries in a restricted manner. As on November 24, India had formalised air bubble arrangements with 31 countries.

These arrangements provide air travel bubble arrangements provide direct/indirect connectivity to more than 100 countries, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh said in a separate written reply to the Upper House.

To a query on whether airfares for returning students and family members from Europe and North America are doubling and even quadrupling this winter, Singh said that as per details of fare submitted by airlines, the average fares for travel by economy class under the air bubble arrangements are comparable to the average fares during the Winter 2019 schedule.

The minister's remarks in a separate written reply are based on the details of fares by Air India, the only Indian carrier operating to Europe and North America, United Airlines and Lufthansa.

29/11/21 Outlook

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Will Omicron upset Indian travellers plans; impact international aviation recovery?

On November 26, the World Health Organisation (WHO) designated a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, subsequently named Omicron, as a variant of concern. To quote the WHO, “Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes.”

WHO, in updates published on the WHO website, left more questions than answers, stating that research is ongoing and more details should be available in the days ahead about the effectiveness of current vaccines on this strain. Dr Angelique Coetzee, the South African doctor who first spotted the new variant, has in various media interviews, maintained that the patients so far have extremely mild symptoms.

The new variant was first identified in Botswana on November 11. However, since the reports of the new variant, it has already spread in various parts of the world. Reportedly, the Omicron variant has now been identified in Australia, Austria, Belgium,

Botswana, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Reunion Island (French territory), South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Information about the new variant surfaced just when after a long grounding, the world had started to open up. While the WHO did not suggest any travel restrictions be imposed, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and European Union were some of the countries/blocs that imposed new requirements or restrictions for arrivals from south African nations, including Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Other countries such as Israel and Japan have gone one step further to stop almost all foreigners from arriving on their soil.

As we have adequately seen over the past 18 months or so, travel bans don’t help. Most countries failed to bar the virus from entering their frontiers since information about any variant being discovered always comes around with a lag, rather than ahead of time. This means no one is prepared for them when the first cases are beginning to circulate around the globe. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned against travel bans, stressing that restrictions are "not a long-term solution" when it comes to managing coronavirus variants.

While India has taken a more measured approach at this point in time, it is almost bound to create inconvenience and affect travel yet again. November 26 was also the day when India announced that they will allow commercial flight operations to resume effective December 15, 2021, after a long 20-month hiatus. Over the weekend, the stance shifted, and the Government of India indicated that the resumption of international commercial operations would be “reviewed.” We still don’t know if this means there will be a postponement of flights resumption or not.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has required that all in-bound travellers from southern African countries (such as Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa) Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, Brazil, Bangladesh, China, Mauritius, New Zealand and Israel will be subject to an on-arrival RT-PCR test at the first port of entry, effective December 1. To add to this, the Government of India requires a 2 percent random sample of passengers on each international flight arriving in India to be tested, with the job of picking these passengers handed over to the airline.

However, what is bound to create chaos is the requirement that passengers cannot leave the airport before their report is received. This means that there will be a perpetual crowd build-up at major airports in the coming weeks, and passengers will be required to wait at the airport for about 4-6 hours before they can catch a connection or exit the airport.

With the fading mask discipline, this could mean the airports themselves could be hotspots for transmission. For instance, on December 1, there are scores of wide body aircraft scheduled to arrive at Delhi Airport in the wee hours (KLM from Amsterdam and Air India, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic from London, apart from Qatar Airways and Emirates who could be carrying passengers from Brazil and Europe, apart from their own countries into India).

30/11/21 Ajay Awtaney/Free Press Journal

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Omicron Scare In India: Botswana Woman Goes Missing In Jabalpur

 In Madhya Pradesh, a search is on to find a woman from Botswana who arrived in Jabalpur on November 18. In wake of the new variant omicron, India has adopted a stricter screening and tracking process for travellers from affected countries.

The search has been launched by the district administration and the Department of Health. Along with a search team, they have distributed a helpline number to get the information on the missing woman. Air India had promised to offer details on the woman.

The teams have searched guest houses and hotels in the city of Jabalpur have not been able to locate the woman. They have identified the woman as a 24-year-old and her name is Khumo Oremeet Selyn.

An official from the Department of Health said that the team had reached out to a woman whose phone number was mentioned on the passenger list. However, the woman has denied landing at Jabalpur and said that she is with the embassy in New Delhi. The officers from Jabalpur to Bhopal have been put to work to locate the woman.

Meanwhile, all the passengers on the said Air India have submitted samples for the genome sequencing process. The same would be taken from the woman, once found.

According to the News18 report, the woman was found by the authority in the Military hospital at Jabalpur today. She has been quarantined and her samples have been sent for the genome sequencing process as per the regulations set by the Ministry of Health on Friday.

Similarly, two citizens of South Africa who arrived in Bengaluru on November 11 and 20 tested positive for COVID-19 after an RT-PCR test was conducted. The authorities were able to trace them back and they were isolated immediately. According to the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Rural district K Srinivas, the test result shows that they have tested positive for the Delta variant.

29/11/21 She The People

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Nurse at University Hospitals Sussex delivers baby on flight

Leela Baby, who is a senior oncology nurse at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, volunteered for action after a woman who was only seven months pregnant went into labour on their Air India flight from Heathrow to India.

Within a couple of hours Simi Maria Phillip had given birth to baby Shawn, and the flight was diverted from its flight path to India, and touched down in Frankfurt, so that mother and baby could be taken to hospital.

Leela was helped by Dr Inshad Ibrahim, an A&E physician from North Wales, and Dr Richu Philip, a junior doctor working at Birmingham City Hospital, who were both on the flight and offered their services.

Upon arriving in Cochin, India after their stop off in Frankfurt, Germany – Leela was presented with an award in October for her assistance in safely delivering the baby.

Leela said: “I was travelling with my husband, Joseph, from Heathrow to Cochin, when all of a sudden there was an announcement asking for any experienced doctors or nurses on board who can help with an emergency labour.

“It’s a long time since I delivered a baby so I waited at first but when a second announcement went out I came forward and volunteered.

“They asked me if I had experience working in labour and I said I have experience of working in labour when I first started working as a nurse in India, and although I’m working as a chemotherapy nurse now, I am confident I can help.

“They told me there was a woman - Simi - who's 29 weeks pregnant and in emergency labour.

“I then went ahead and asked Simi how she was doing and how the pain was. She said she was in a lot of pain and that she was having contractions. Soon after this, her waters broke so we took her to a bed by the cabin crew area.

“We examined her and the baby's head was crowning. Then we delivered the baby safely. Both mother and baby were safe. Whilst the doctors looked after the baby, I carefully took out the placenta.

“The flight then landed in Frankfurt, Germany and both mother and baby were taken to the University hospital.”

After getting her award for excellence, Leela said she did not expect it but was grateful to receive one.

She added: “I am in touch with Simi and she and the baby are doing fine now. I am just glad I, and others, was able to help.

“It was nice, and much unexpected, to be given the award. It was certainly an eventful flight!”

30/11/21 George Carden/Argus

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International Flights Resumption: Jyotiraditya Scindia Makes A Big Statement Amid Omicron Variant Scare

New Delhi: Amid the growing tension over the new covid variant, Omicron, Union Civil Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said that the government is closely monitoring the situation and in consultation with other ministries regarding “any further decision” on resuming scheduled international passenger services.

To recall, the Modi government had recently decided to restart scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from December 15. On Monday, in a written statement to the Rajya Sabha, Scindia said that the decision to resume flights from December 15 was taken after recognising the increased vaccination coverage across the globe, changing nature of the pandemic, and considering the health protocols, which have been put in place for international arrivals. 

“However, in view of the evolving global scenario with the emergence of new variants of concern, the situation is being closely monitored and reviewed in consultation with other Ministries, with regard to taking any further decision on the issue,” the Civil Aviation Minister wrote, as quoted by news agency PTI.

On Sunday, the Home Ministry stated that the Union government will review the decision on December 15 resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger service.

“Decision on effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passengers service, to be reviewed, as per evolving global scenario. Closer watch on emerging pandemic situation within the country will be maintained,” the MHA statement read.

29/11/21 India.com

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Fliers can head to 10 new int’l destinations

Ahmedabad: Flights to some 10 new international destinations have been announced from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) airport in Ahmedabad, during the winter schedule.

The winter schedule was recently announced by the aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and was implemented effective October 28 this year. More flights to Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Doha, Qatar; Kuwait; London, UK; Muscat, Oman; Nairobi, Kenya and Najaf, Iraq have been announced.

“International flights are running full at this point with a lot of businessmen as well as family members travelling by these flights to meet their loved ones. People have not been able to travel much last year due to the pandemic situation and the restrictions on international travel,” said Manish Sharma, chairman, Travel Agents’ Federation of India (TAFI), Gujarat.

A total of 76 flights have been announced as part of the winter schedule for international operations by various airlines including Indigo, SpiceJet, GoAir, Fly Dubai, Emirates, Etihad, Kuwait Airways and Air India, among others. Of these, 47 flights have already been operationalised.

“The starting of international operations will benefit travel and tourism sector in a big way as tourism industry will get the much-needed boost. That apart, even the hospitality sector will also get a lot of business in Gujarat with international movements beginning,” said Sharma.

29/11/21 Niyati Parikh/Times of India

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Singapore Airlines to resume services from Kochi airport

Kochi: After a gap of 20 months, the Singapore Airlines has announced the resumption of services at the Kochi airport from November 30 (Tuesday). Three passenger flight each will operate weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. They will arrive in Kochi at 10.15pm and depart at 11.05pm.

CIAL managing director S Suhas said the chairman and the board of directors have taken proactive steps to re-establish air connectivity to Kochi from all international travel hubs. "We are happy to have Singapore Airlines back here after a long hiatus. With the resumption of flights, passengers can finally reunite with their friends and family in Singapore," he said.

Passengers arriving from Singapore have to take a COVID RT-PCR test at the Kochi airport and undergo a seven-day home quarantine. On the eighth day of their arrival, they must take one more test and continue quarantine for another week if found positive.

CIAL now handles 185 weekly departures to the Middle East. The airport operator also facilitates flights to the UK, Sri Lanka and Male. It hopes that the airport’s international flight operations will be back to normal by the end of the year.

29/11/21 New Indian Express

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Flying to India? Here’s what you need to know

Union Health Ministry revised guidelines for international arrivals in India on Sunday to be effective from December 1 amid the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant termed Omicron. The revised guidelines mandate

submitting 14 days’ travel details and uploading a negative RT-PCR test report on the Air Suvidha portal before the journey.

All travelers will need to submit a self-declaration form before the scheduled travel under the new guidelines, including details of the last 14 days of travel. Travelers will also need to upload a negative COVID-19 RTPCR report 72 hours before undertaking any journey.

“The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been now classified as Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization,” the Health Ministry said.

Passengers coming from ‘at-risk’ countries will have to undergo RT-PCR testing on arrival in India now.

If tested negative, they’ll follow home quarantine for seven days. Re-test will take place on the 8th day, which if negative, further self-monitoring will happen for next seven days.

A sub-section (5% of total flight passengers) will undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival.

The Health Ministry has classified countries in Europe, including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel as ‘at-risk’.

Earlier today, the central government said it would review the resumption of scheduled international commercial flights.

Full service carrier Vistara on Sunday said it was looking forward to the guidance from the government on normalisation of international flight services amid the emergence of a new COVID variant.

Two days after announcing that scheduled international flight services to and from India will resume from December 15 subject to certain conditions applicable for ‘at risk’ countries, the government on Sunday decided to review the decision on effective date as per evolving global scenario.

Scheduled international passenger flights remain suspended since March 23 last year due to the coronavirus pandemic and on Friday, aviation regulator DGCA said the suspension will continue till 2359 hours of December 14. Limited air services are being operated between India and select countries under the air bubble agreements.

29/11/21 Bangalore Mirror

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Passengers from 'at risk' countries will have to undergo RT-PCR test on arrival in Delhi

New Delhi: In wake of Omicron variant, Delhi’s IGI Airport has from Sunday morning started conducting RT-PCR tests on all arrivals from the 12 areas designated as high risk countries — countries in Europe including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

Arrivals from three Omicron hotspots — South Africa, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong — will be required to wait at the airport for their test report and only those found negative will be allowed to leave, say sources. Those testing positive will be sent to designated Covid centres.

Arrivals from other at risk countries will be allowed to leave after their sample and the result will be conveyed to them electronically, with the same protocol for those testing positive or negative.

The government on Sunday morning is learnt to have conducted a review of travel rules after the new mutant has been found in Southern Africa and subsequently in some other parts of the world, including the UK.

Many countries have started imposing new restrictions or test rules which mainly include suspending flights to southern Africa for some period. UK, for instance, has changed testing and isolation rules for all arrivals starting November 30, 4 am (local time). All international arrivals to the UK will need to take a Day 2 PCR test and self-isolate until they receive a negative test.

28/11/21 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India

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Model design of India’s biggest airport mocked by netizens for passing off exactly like Beijing airport

The upcoming Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, India, which is expected to surpass Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport to become the largest in the country, went viral on social media over the weekend for having used a photo of Beijing Daxing International Airport as its model design, drawing ridicules from both Indian and Chinese netizens. 

The Noida International Airport project was launched on Thursday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who laid the foundation stone of the first phase. It is scheduled to be completed by 2024 with a capacity of 12 million passenger flows annually, local media reported. 

"By the last phase of development, the Noida International Airport will even surpass IGI and become India's leading airport," said the country's aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia at the ceremony. The final phase is expected to be completed by 2040-50 with a capacity to handle 70 million passengers annually, reports said. 

However, the mega project flopped on Twitter shortly after releasing the news, as netizens found that the concept photo illustrating model design of the airport, which was shared widely among local officials and media outlets, turned out to be the Beijing Daxing International Airport in China's capital. 

"The [Modi's] party cannot make an original design, just a design, how will they build the real structure itself? It's Shame," said one netizen on Twitter. 

"It's extremely shameful," noted another, "Our legends in non-political fields have spent years to make India shine. Don't spoil our nation's image like this just for your political advantage," said another Indian netizen. 

The Beijing Daxing International Airport, which locates in the southern part of the Chinese capital, was put into use in September 2020, and handled nearly 39 million passenger trips the first year. The airport, nicknamed "Starfish," is featured by cutting-edge technology with high efficiency, and is expected to handle 72 million passengers by 2025.

28/11/21 Global Times

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India revises Covid-19 guidelines for international arrivals amid Omicron fears

Union Health Ministry revised guidelines for international arrivals in India on Sunday to be effective from December 1 amid the emergence of a new Covid-19 variant termed Omicron. The revised guidelines mandate submitting 14 days' travel details and uploading a negative RT-PCR test report on the Air Suvidha portal before the journey.

All travelers will need to submit a self-declaration form before the scheduled travel under the new guidelines, including details of the last 14 days of travel. Travelers will also need to upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report 72 hours before undertaking any journey.

"The existing guidelines have been revised in view of reporting of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1.1.529; named Omicron) which has been now classified as Variant of Concern by the World Health Organization," the Health Ministry said.

Passengers coming from 'at-risk' countries will have to undergo RT-PCR testing on arrival in India now.

If tested negative, they'll follow home quarantine for seven days. Re-test will take place on the 8th day, which if negative, further self-monitoring will happen for next seven days.

A sub-section (5% of total flight passengers) will undergo post-arrival testing at random at the airport on arrival.

The Health Ministry has classified countries in Europe, including UK, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel as 'at-risk’.

28/11/21 Economic Times

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Two passengers from South Africa test Covid positive at India’s Bengaluru airport, quarantined

Bengaluru: Two passengers from South Africa tested positive for COVID-19 at an airport in India’ southern Karnataka state.

The authorities from the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru city on Saturday said that their test samples have been sent to a virology lab to ascertain whether they are infected with Omicron variant of coronavirus.

The health department officials said the test results will take another 48 hours to arrive.

Both have been sent to quarantine centres, and they will stay there till their test results confirm the new variant.

Around 584 people landed in Bengaluru from 10 “high-risk” nations, out of which 94 individuals have come from South Africa alone, according to Bengaluru Rural Deputy Commissioner K Srinivas.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with top bureaucrats to assess the Covid situation in the country.

During the meeting, Modi asked officials to review their order on easing international travel restrictions in the light of Omicron variant that is slowly being reported from various parts of the world.

He also asked officials to step up screening at all international airports and ensure that strict Covid guidelines are followed.

27/11/21 WION

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Families stuck after decision to ban flights to and from South Africa

Johannesburg: Hundreds of foreigners on family or business trips in South Africa desperately tried to get back home on the last available flights as several nations imposed restrictions on travellers due to the discovery of the new Omnicron variant of COVID-19 in this country.

The UK announced on Thursday that all flights to and from South Africa and five neighbouring countries would be banned from Friday noon following an announcement that the new Omnicron variant of COVID-19 had been detected in South Africa.

Many other countries followed suit, most of them indicating that only their own citizens would be allowed back, subject to a quarantine period.

In New Delhi, the central government asked all states and union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where a new variant has been detected.

According to the government's decision on Friday, airlines will be allowed to operate 50 per cent of their pre-COVID scheduled passenger flights between India and South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana from December 15.

India does not have an air bubble arrangement -- which allows special passenger flights between two countries amid COVID-related restrictions -- with South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana. Also, these three countries are classified under the "at-risk" category by India's ministry of health.

Tourists from Britain, one of the largest in South Africa's tourism and family visit sectors, were particularly hard hit.

I need to get home to be with my family for Christmas, and now it looks like I might be stuck here with my friends, said a tearful Joanne Johnson as airline employees explained the cancellation of flights, adding that arrangements were being made to repatriate British nationals only.

South African pensioners Johan Vermeulen and his wife Annemarie had been looking forward all year to join their son Andre, who had settled in the UK in 1999, and his family.

We haven't seen our grandchildren for more than two years now and thought that the pandemic was now easing enough to go there, Annemarie said.

Jarred Sampson said even if he did manage to get onto a flight, he would be faced with the unbudgeted expense of going into quarantine for 10 days on arrival in the UK.

27/11/21 Press Trust of India/Business Standard

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