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PM Modi to conduct Noida International Airport's 'bhoomi pujan' on November 25

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the groundbreaking ceremony for the Noida International Airport at Jewar in the NCR region on November 25. The airport is being developed by Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of the project's Swiss concessionaire Zurich International Airport AG. Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL) is developing Noida International Airport under the PPP model in close partnership with the Uttar Pradesh government and the Government of India. "YIAPL is committed to building a world-class airport in India which will play the role of a catalyst for the economic growth of India & Uttar Pradesh. The investment in Noida International Airport (NIA) will fuel the economy in NCR, Greater Noida, and the state of Uttar Pradesh, thereby also generating substantial direct and indirect job opportunities in the region," the airport authority said in a statement. The airport will be the logistics gateway for North India. Owing to its scale and capacity, the Noida International Airport will prove to be a game-changer for the state. According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the airport is strategically located and will serve the people of cities including Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Agra, Faridabad and neighbouring areas. "Once fully constructed, the Noida International Airport will be a thriving international airport serving the National Capital Region of Delhi and the fast-developing Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development area between Delhi and Agra. UP government's continued support towards the project has been vital in the process so far," the airport authority said. Recently, YIAPL signed the financing agreements with the State Bank of India (SBI) and Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL), the government of Uttar Pradesh's nodal agency for the project, to achieve financial close of the NIA project. YIAPL has raised Rs 3,725 crore in debt from SBI to be repaid over a period of 20 years with one-year moratorium post completion of the project. This is one of the largest financings in an Indian greenfield airport. The financial close marks another crucial milestone for the project, bringing it closer to the start of construction works. The project is being funded on a debt-to-equity ratio of 65:35. "Airport will be a confluence of air travel, high-speed rail, metro, and road transport. Though the master plan is prepared to accommodate the demand throughout the 40-year concession period with two runways, the Government of Uttar Pradesh has larger aspirations over the broader time horizon to ultimately have 5 runways. The airport master plan provides the platform for this aspiration growth," the Noida Airport statement read. The airport will develop a ground transportation centre that will feature a multimodal transit hub, housing metro and high-speed rail stations, taxi, bus services and private parking. This will enable seamless connectivity of the airport with the road, rail, and metro. Noida and Delhi will be connected to the airport through hassle-free metro service. All major nearby roads and highways like the Yamuna Expressway, Western Peripheral Expressway, Eastern Peripheral Expressway, Delhi-Mumbai Expressway and others will be connected to the airport. The airport is spread over more than 1300 hectares of land, the completed first phase of the airport will have a capacity to serve around 1.2 crore passengers a year and work on it is scheduled to be completed by 2024.

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Stalin seeks ease of travel for Tamil diaspora to Singapore, Malaysia

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged the Centre to arrange a temporary air transport bubble agreement with Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia for the benefit of Tamil diaspora who otherwise have to take longer detours and shell out more money to reach their destinations. Stalin wrote to civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday (November 25) saying travellers from and to these countries were facing difficulties due to non-availability of direct flights. “They have to travel through Dubai, Doha and Colombo which is causing serious inconvenience and financial burden as they have to pay more air charges and travel long distance due to the detour,” he said. Stalin also pointed to the issues faced by domestic airlines as foreign airlines were like “Qatar Airways, Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines were cornering” the business. “Hence, I request you to make a temporary air transport bubble with Singapore, Malaysia at the earliest, for providing temporary airline services and resolve the difficulties faced by the Tamil diaspora in Singapore and Malaysia,” he said.

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Delhi govt's free pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens to resume on December 3

The Delhi government will resume its free pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens, the 'Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana', on December 3 with a batch of 1,000 people who will leave for Ayodhya, officials said on Tuesday. Last month, the Delhi Cabinet had approved the inclusion of Ayodhya in the scheme. The first train under the scheme carrying 1,000 elderly pilgrims will depart for Ayodhya on December 3, said Kamal Bansal, Chairman of the Delhi government's Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti. "There is great demand from senior citizens for the pilgrimage scheme. We are getting large number of applications for pilgrimage to different places, including Ayodhya. Pilgrims for other places will be sent after preparations are complete," he said. Under the 'Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojana', the Delhi government bears the expenditure of the entire pilgrimage of a number of senior citizens to 13 circuits, including places like Puri, Rameswaram, Shirdi, Mathura, Haridwar and Tirupati. Any resident of the national capital aged 60 or above can avail the scheme after acquiring a certificate from their local MLA, stating that they live in the legislator's constituency. One attendant aged 21 or more can accompany each traveller. The government bears the expenses for the attendant too. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal is currently touring poll-bound states like Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The pilgrimage scheme had been halted due to Covid-19, but now instructions have been issued to resume it, the official said, adding that trains for various destinations are expected to start in the next month. The 'Mukhyamantri Tirth Yatra Yojna' was approved by the Delhi Cabinet on January 9, 2018. More than 35,000 senior citizens have availed the schem

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Tourism service providers can offer all-inclusive packages to travellers in special tourist trains

In a major boost for the operation of private tourist trains in India, the Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that tourism service providers such as the private train operators, tour planners and agents would be able to offer all-inclusive packages to travellers in special tourist trains announced by the government. The package for tourists can include rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical and heritage sites, tour guides and other necessary arrangement. The move is expected to boost the morale of travel trade and private stakeholders, who were waiting to leverage the potential of rail tourism and luxury travel in India. After announcing the introduction of special ‘Bharat Gaurav’ tourist trains, Vaishnaw said that tourism service providers would be free to decide theme for trains and choice of coaches suiting the clientele in segments such as luxury and budget. There would be full flexibility for the operators to decide package cost based on level of services being offered. They would also free to design and furnish interior of the coaches based on the theme and also do branding and advertisement both inside and outside the train, on the likes promotions done on private commodities or like it is done on its coaches by Delhi Metro. The theme-based tourist circuit trains will help tap the vast tourism potential of India among both foreign and domestic tourists, stated the Ministry of Railways in a press conference. “The core strength of the professionals of tourism sector would be leveraged to develop and identify tourist circuits and run theme- based trains to tap the vast tourism potential of the country,” commented Vaishnaw. Process to operate trains for private stakeholders The government is also making efforts to make the process to acquire right to run, manage and operate the special private tourist trains easy and accessible. The Ministry has announced a simple and transparent online registration process, where interested parties or stakeholders can do registration by paying a fee of INR 1 lakh. Allotment of coaches to all eligible applicants is subject to availability. Priority will be based on the rake security deposit time and date of the applicant with the security amount fixed at INR 1 crore. The rights to run, manage and operate such tourist trains will be granted for a period of 2 to 10 years, depending on the allotment. Tourism service providers can apply individually or can opt for partnership, joint venture, and consortium as well. Company stakeholders, society and trust are also eligible to apply. To handhold the service providers and stakeholders, The Ministry of Railways will make Customer Support Units functional for smooth implementation of scheme and better customer support for the travellers and tourists.

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'Russian charter operators keen on operating Goa flights in Dec'

Russian charter operators have sought landing slots at Goa's Dabolim international airport ahead of the New Year celebrations in the coastal state, airport director Gagan Malik said on Tuesday. "We got a request for slots from Russia. They have announced their first flight from December 30. They have sent a request for nine flights," Malik said. "This is the third charter request for this season. Their request is currently for nine slots. Maybe depending on the situation they may increase it. They will be operating twice a week, Thursday and Saturday. Things are improving for now," he added. Nearly 900 charter flights mostly from Russia, UK and Germany annually found their way to Goa before the Covid pandemic struck last year, closing down all international travel. Charter flights account for the bulk of the international tourists arrivals to Goa. Nearly half a million foreign tourists arrived in Goa in 2019. After the Central government allowed the landing of charter flights at Goa's only airport from November 15, interest of international charter companies has slowly started germinating, Malik also said. The official further said that the Airports Authority of India has already approved slots for two other charter companies namely Air Astana, the official carrier for Kazakhstan and SCAT, also a Kazakh charter flight company.

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Holiday Inn overhaul nears completion in Europe

IHG Hotels & Resorts has reached a new milestone in the ongoing upgrade of two of its most recognisable brands, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express. Over 90 per cent of the existing European Holiday Inn brand family portfolio have now committed to or already completed the transformation of their hotels as part of a drive to revitalise the portfolio. In recent years, the brand family has been undergoing a significant regeneration across Europe, with a reimagining of the hotels’ shared areas, guest rooms and communal spaces. The Holiday Inn Open lobby transforms the traditional format by combining the front desk, restaurant, bar, lounge and business centre into one open, cohesive space, while refreshing the design to give it a contemporary feel. The design was created by keenly understanding how people use space at home in order to give guests the most flexibility. As many guests now enjoy a hybrid working model, having the option to work from a space dedicated to functionality, with flexible workstations and inviting social spaces, the Holiday Inn Open lobby offers a practical alternative to working from a hotel room, an office or at home. At Holiday Inn Express properties across Europe, the focus has centred upon upgrading guest rooms with a ‘Next Generation’ design implemented at all new hotel openings and rolled-out across two-thirds of the existing estate. Guest rooms have been developed to balance home comforts with smart design features, such as a flexible workspace, ergonomically designed chairs, ample USB ports and plug sockets, higher quality bedding and a Smart TV that enables guests to stream media from a personal device. John Wright, head of mainstream brands, EMEAA, IHG Hotels & Resorts, commented: “In recent years we’ve worked closely with our hotel owners and listened to our guests to roll out these new concepts, ensuring some of our most iconic brands continue to exceed consumer expectations. “The way people travel and do business has changed, with flexible working on the rise, and many people have the option to work from anywhere. “This milestone for both brands is perfectly timed as business travel continues to return, and people look for alternative spaces to work. “Similarly, as the staycation trend remains popular, Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express are the perfect base for families, couples and friends seeking to explore Europe’s cities and destinations.” Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express account for over 75 per cent of IHG’s total estate in Europe with 566 open hotels.

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