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Lemon Tree Hotels signs a new hotel in Mukteshwar in Uttarakhand

Lemon Tree Hotels announced its latest hotel signing – Lemon Tree Hotel, Mukteshwar, in Uttarakhand. This hotel is expected to open in July 2022. The property is owned by The Alpine Chalet Resort, and shall be managed by Carnation Hotels, a subsidiary and management arm of Lemon Tree Hotels. Nestled amidst the majestic hills and lush greenery, Mukteshwar is a hill station suburb of Nainital. It derives its name from the 350-year-old temple, Mukteshwar Dham, whose residing deity is Lord Shiva. Mukteshwar is also a wonderful trekking location with fruit orchards, coniferous forests, lush green pathways, and narrow lanes, it is a nature lover’s paradise that attracts throngs of tourists all year round. One side of the destination is covered by dense forests and the other side features a stunning view of the enchanting valleys. Located in the Nainital district, this property will feature 41 well-appointed rooms and suites, complemented by a multi-cuisine restaurant and a bar. It will also have a conference room, and a swimming pool, spa anda fitness centre for recreation. Speaking on the occasion, Vikramjit Singh, President, Lemon Tree Hotels Limited commented, “We are delighted to expand our reach in Uttarakhand with our valued partner M/s The Alpine Chalet Resort. This state holds immense business and tourism potential, and is a preferred destination for travellers. With our widespread reach, we feel that this hotel will add value to our customers.”

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Scheduled international flight suspension extended ‘till further orders’: DGCA

The ban on scheduled international passenger flights to and from India has been extended ’till further orders’, the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated in a new order on Monday. In the same notification, the DGCA also stated that the restrictions will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specially approved by DGCA and flights under bubble arrangement will also not be affected. Ahead of this, the DGCA had announced the extension on the ban on international flights till February 28. the latest order of suspension of flights continues the scheduled international passenger flight ban which has been in place in India since March 23, 2020. However, special passenger flights have been operating between India and approximately 40 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements formed with them.

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Qatar Airways Welcomes High Court’s Injunction Against Airbus

Qatar Airways welcomes the decision of the High Court on Friday 18 February 2022 which issued an injunction against Airbus. The essence of the order is that Airbus must not do anything between the date of the order and a further hearing in April that would adversely affect its ability to comply with any court order that Qatar Airways might obtain in relation to the purported cancellation of the A321 contract. As the order obtained is an injunction, there would be serious consequences for Airbus should this order be breached. The decision by the High Court will help to protect Qatar Airways against any future attempts by Airbus to suggest that it is unable to comply with the terms of the A321 contract. Qatar Airways also notes with surprise, the statement made by the Airbus CEO during the company’s latest earnings press event when he was referring to this litigation. He said: “We have to take steps to protect ourselves and protect the company and that’s basically what we are doing, but obviously we continue to try to resolve the situation in a more amicable way”. It is important to clarify that neither Qatar Airways nor its legal team are aware of any efforts by Airbus to try to resolve the situation in an amicable way; in fact, the actual situation is to the contrary. Qatar Airways was surprised to see Airbus' latest efforts to attempt to terminate their own contractual commitment to establish a full root cause analysis of the A350 Accelerated Surface Degradation which is currently impacting the A350 aircraft type. Qatar Airways will continue its legal action to seek an order that requires Airbus to fully, properly and transparently investigate the A350 Accelerated Surface Degradation, to establish the conclusive and full root cause of an important condition which is degrading the surface of the aircraft beneath the paint. In a further development, Qatar Airways regrets to advise that its regulator, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA), has now revoked the Airworthiness Review Certificate in respect of an additional A350 aircraft resulting in a total of 22 Airbus A350 aircraft now grounded. This decision has been taken by our regulator as all of these aircraft have developed damage as a result of the A350 Accelerated Surface Degradation Condition which is beyond the tolerance limits set by Airbus. The QCAA will not allow these aircraft to return to service until a full and conclusive root cause analysis has been completed, the impact on continuing airworthiness has been established and a solution been found to permanently correct the root cause and repair the damage. The safety of passengers and crew remains the highest priority for Qatar Airways and therefore the airline fully supports the decision of the QCAA.

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More weekly domestic flights to start from Trivandrum

The weekly frequency of domestic services from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport will be increased from 60 to 79 from March 1. More additional services are expected in the summer schedule. Indigo Airlines has decided to increase the weekly services to Bengaluru from 7 to 20. This will help passengers from Thiruvananthapuram to Bengaluru, a route for which there is always a rush for tickets. There will be three services in weekdays. Two will be in the morning and one in the evening. There will be daily services to Kannur and Kochi. Earlier, it was four per week. This will enhance the connectivity within the state of Kerala. Daily services to Chennai, Mumbai and Hyderabad will be continued. A few services started earlier had to be suspended due to Covid restrictions. In summer schedule, the services to cities including Delhi, Pune, etc., are expected to be introduced. A few more international services, especially to the Middle East, are also expected. The Trivandrum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) has opined that with the Covid-19 pandemic plateauing, and several countries easing travel restrictions, Trivandrum Airport should increase the number of flight operations to and from the city. The request was raised at a meeting of industry bodies and stakeholders in Thiruvananthapuram, led by TCCI and Awake Trivandrum, with Adani Airport Holdings Ltd recently. "People of Thiruvananthapuram are delighted to see the positive changes in the Airport operations since Adani took over the airport. With IT industry expected to resume working out of offices, and tourism destinations picking up life, there will be increased demand for flights. Adding more flights, both domestic and international, should be the key priority," said TCCI president S N Raghuchandran Nair. "Steps to improve passenger experience, including reopening of the duty-free shop, should also be expedited," he added.

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Kerala To Launch Pan India Promotional Campaigns

Kerala Tourism is all set to roll out aggressive promotional campaigns across the country to lure tourists from the domestic market. The campaigns to ramp up the Kerala's tourism and hospitality industry will be based on a variety of themes such as Long Stays, Homestays, Drive Holidays and ‘Change of Air’ besides new products like Caravan Holidays. These promotional initiatives will be bolstered by a series of travel trade networking activities, including participation in Trade Fairs, organizing B2B Partnership Meets and roadshows, and promoting products and events through various media such as print, TV, radio, digital, OTT, and theatre. During the next three months (March-May), Kerala Tourism will participate in the 28th International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) at Tel Aviv (Israel) and at BIT Milan (Italy) and also organise B2B Meets in Madrid and Milan. As for the domestic events, it will attend trade fairs like OTM Mumbai, TTF Chennai and South Asian Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), New Delhi. In addition, partnership meets will be held in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said the pandemic had tapered off considerably across the globe, resulting in lifting of travel restrictions. “This augur well for Kerala’s tourism and hospitality industry. We are in a resurgent mode now. We believe the recently launched products will woo back the travellers from both inside the country and outside”, he added. “Tourists from inside the country have always played a major role in making Kerala’s tourism a throbbing enterprise. In the post-COVID world also, their role will be paramount. It is this belief that forms the essence of our pan-India promotional campaigns,” he added. Dr. Venu V, Addl. Chief Secretary (Tourism), said, “The theme-based projects have been made after meticulous planning. Some of the new projects, like the biodiversity circuit, and Caravan Holidays, in particular, will take the travellers to Kerala’s unexplored areas while observing all the pandemic protocols, thus helping the state go beyond established destinations.” Tourism Director V R Krishna Teja said a major objective of the ‘Change of Air’ theme is to entice urban Indians with families, for holidaying in Kerala as the state is making determined efforts to put its tourism sector back on track. “The idea of a 'Change of Air', often prescribed by physicians, is to flip the negative connotation around the pandemic-infected 'air' and foreground the fresh air that abounds in Kerala's greenery and open spaces as the healthiest way to beat the lockdown blues,” he noted.

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Iceland removes all COVID-19 related travel restrictions

In a bid to boost travel in the country, Iceland has lifted all of its COVID-19 restrictions, including all border-related restrictions. With this, Iceland has become the latest country to remove all pandemic-era rules and regulations. As per the Ministry of Health and Ministry for Foreign Affairs, travellers visiting Iceland will no longer have to show a negative RT-PCR test report to enter the country. In fact, Iceland will be welcoming travellers irrespective of their vaccination status. The government has expressed, "No disease prevention measures will be in place at the border, regardless of whether individuals are vaccinated or unvaccinated.” In a statement, Iceland's Minister of Health, Willum Þór Þórsson, said that they can truly rejoice at this turning-point, but nonetheless the government wants people to be careful along with practicing personal infection prevention measures. The government also recommends not to interact with others if they notice any COVID symptoms. Earlier, travellers to Iceland had to carry their proof of vaccination completed within nine months or show proof of a booster shot. The government has also decided to remove all limits on social gatherings along with doing away with the quarantine requirements for people who test positive for the virus. After Iceland, Israel is also planning to welcome unvaccinated travellers from next month. On the other hand, France is waiving all pre-departure testing requirements for fully vaccinated travellers.

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