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SpiceJet becomes the first airline in India to be awarded highest rating for flight health and safety

Budget carrier SpiceJet has become the first airline in India and the second budget airline in the world to be awarded the highest rating for flight health and safety. The airline has been awarded the Diamond status by The Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) Health Safety for ensuring highest standards of cleanliness and sanitisation amidst the pandemic. The APEX Diamond Status is an accolade which recognises industry leadership in ensuring that the airline is deploying stringent measures to observe the highest levels of safety and protection from Covid-19. The quarterly review certification process involves evaluation, verification and validation that comes after an extensive audit comprising a 58-point checklist across 10 airline categories. The audit spans across diverse categories that include testing, tracing, on-the-ground procedures, in-flight measures, and even cobranded partnerships that promote airline product safety integrity. Commenting, Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are honoured to receive the highest level of certification by APEX and SimpliFlying. SpiceJet has taken every possible step to ensure the highest standards of hygiene and safety are maintained for a safe and secure flying experience during the pandemic and beyond. We are thankful to the team of APEX and SimpliFlying to recognise our relentless efforts in fighting the continuous battle of Covid-19 by setting the highest benchmark of hygiene and cleanliness.” APEX, the largest non-profit airline association in the world dedicated entirely to passenger experience along with SimpliFlying developed standards to increase customer safety amid the pandemic and to imbibe a sense of trust amongst them as they return to skies again. Having served more than 100 airlines worldwide, SimpliFlying has been focusing on creation of safety plans for airlines even before the pandemic. Joe Leader, CEO, APEX said, “As one of India’s leading airlines, the entire team at SpiceJet went above-and-beyond attaining the hospital-grade Diamond status in APEX Health Safety powered by SimpliFlying. SpiceJet’s focus on emerging from Covid-19 both stronger and safer aligns deeply with our values at APEX. In addition, SpiceJet’s focus on advancing customer service while making their passengers safer shines as an example for our airline industry.” Shashank Nigam, CEO, SimpliFlying, said, “SpiceJet has set up an impressive health safety strategy since the global Covid-19 pandemic broke out. Measures like improved ventilation in closed spaces and transition to a touchless customer experience make passengers feel comfortable without compromising their wellbeing hospital-grade measures of SpiceJet make it a safe customer choice for travel in these hard times.” The certification process for APEX Health Safety requires that airlines reach the ‘gold standard’ of safety for any rating whatsoever. Airlines going into the 100-point range beyond ‘gold standard’ health safety are awarded Platinum standard certification. Lastly, airlines reaching hospital-grade level health safety with at least 200 points above the “gold standard” are awarded ‘Diamond standard’ of health and safety.

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Air travel seeing swift recovery: IndiGo CEO

India is witnessing a swift recovery in domestic air travel as the pandemic subsides. The country’s biggest airline IndiGo is now operating more domestic flights on peak travel days like weekends or holidays than it did before Covid, on the back of increased connections to smaller cities. But flight tickets could soon cost more as the combined pressure of rising jet fuel prices and falling rupee has reached a point where airlines need to pass on this hike in operating cost to passengers in terms of higher fares. Ronojoy Dutta, CEO, IndiGo, said, “In pre-pandemic times, we had about 1,600 daily flights of which 400 to 450 were international. Currently, we have about 1,400 daily flights of which nearly 80 are international. (These numbers vary from lean to peak travel days.) The peaks are looking good. The government has allowed 100 per cent domestic capacity and our bookings at this time are 90-95 per cent of pre-Covid levels.” But the incessant rise in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) or jet fuel prices and fall in rupee could now force airlines to increase fares to avoid going bust. “Crude has gone from USD 43 a barrel last October to USD 84 now. We need some relief on taxes. Fares need to reflect higher fuel price, higher operating cost (added to by the falling rupee). Fuel is a problem and fares have to be brought higher,” Dutta said. “Airlines around the world got some government help. We didn’t get any, which is fine. But excise on fuel (11 per cent) and other indirect taxes in India Meanwhile, preparing for competition from Tata-Air India, IndiGo has ordered new “improved, softer and more comfortable seats” for its entire fleet. “The order has been placed for the new seats,” Dutta said. IndiGo is going to start getting the Airbus A321 XLR (extra-long range) on which it will do up to seven-hour non-stops to cities like Tel Aviv, Milan and Dusseldorf. It is finalising the product for these flights that will include the new seats, ovens for hot meals and in-seat plug sockets so that passenger their keep personal electronic devices charged during the journey

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Tamil Nadu seeks restoration of Chennai airport as embarkation point for Haj pilgrims

Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore Chennai International Airport as an embarkation point for Haj pilgrims in the state. He said Chennai had served as embarkation point for over 4,500 Haj pilgrims from the state as well as those from Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands during 2019. In addition, the pilgrims from Karnataka and Kerala too had utilised Chennai as their embarkation point. The Haj Committee of India did not list Chennai as an embarkation point for the annual pilgrimage to the sacred city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia, this year. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Stalin said he had received representations from several associations and political parties seeking the inclusion of the Chennai International Airport again to facilitate the members to take up the pilgrimage. The embarkation point in Kochi, which is 700 km away from here, allocated for the pilgrims from Tamil Nadu would cause hardship, the CM said, according to an official release from the government. Hence, the PM should instruct the officials concerned to allow Chennai as one of the embarkation points for Haj pilgrims. The embarkation point for Haj 2022 has been reduced to 10 from 21 by including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar. No option or choice has been given to pilgrims for selecting the nearest economical embarkation point. For Haj pilgrims of Tamil Nadu, Cochin will be the embarkation point. "However, the Chief Minister has written to the Prime Minister requesting to include Chennai as permanent embarkation point for Tamil Nadu State Haj pilgrims," the release said. Meanwhile, on behalf of the Haj Committee of India, Mumbai, the Tamil Nadu State Haj Committee, Chennai, has invited applications from the Muslims residing in the state intending to perform the Haj during 2022 subject to certain terms and conditions. "Haj 2022 will take place under special circumstances with special norms, rules and regulations, eligibility criteria, age restrictions (up to 65 years), health and fitness requirements and other relevant conditions as mandated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia amid Covid-19," a release said on Thursday. The online process of application which commenced from November 1, will conclude on January 31, 2022. The applicants should have availed two doses of Covid-19 vaccines, at least a month before the departure, it said

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Seychelles lifts ban on Indian travellers with immediate effect

The Ministry of Health Seychelles has announced that visitors from all countries, including India, are now allowed to enter Seychelles, irrespective of Covid-19 vaccination status. Seychelles International Airport is now also open for all scheduled commercial flights. Travellers would be required to present a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure. Earlier, Seychelles had opened to visitors irrespective of their vaccination status, provided they presented a Covid-19 negative PCR test certificate taken 72 hours prior to travel. However, entry was restricted to visitors who had been in Brazil, India, Bangladesh Nepal and Pakistan within the 14 days preceding arrival to Seychelles. Additionally, all travellers would require a valid Health Travel Authorization (HTA) for entry into Seychelles. This would need to be done through the online portal at https://seychelles.govtas.com/. Visitors also need to purchase a valid travel health insurance that covers at minimum Covid-19 testing, isolation, quarantine and clinical care. Once travellers fulfill these conditions, there will be neither be any quarantine requirement, minimum stay nor restriction on movement upon entry into Seychelles Conditions for stay for children up to 17 years of age, regardless of their vaccination status, will be as per the parent/guardian who would be accompanying them. However, all visitors will still be required to adhere to other public health measures put in place in view of the pandemic which will include wearing of face masks, social distancing, regular sanitisation and washing of hands. Visitors are also required to ensure that accommodation bookings are made only at licensed establishments or liveaboards that have been certified by the Public Health Authority. While PCR testing is not required routinely to depart Seychelles, depending on the requirement of the final destination PCR testing may be necessary. PCR test facilities are available on three main islands - Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Visitors requiring the test should contact the Public Health Authority at least a week in advance.

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Good news for spouses of H-1B visa holders! US to give automatic work authorisation permits

The United States has agreed to provide automatic work authorisation permits to the spouses of H-1B visa holders, a decision which will benefit thousands of Indian-American women. The Americal Immigration Lawyers' Association filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of immigrant spouses in which this settlement has been reached by the Department of Homeland Security, PTI reported. "This (H-4 visa holders) is a group that always met the regulatory test for automatic extension of EADs (employment authorisation documents), but the agency previously prohibited them from that benefit and forced them to wait for reauthorisation. People were suffering. They were losing their high-paying jobs for absolutely no legitimate reason causing harm to them and US businesses," Jon Wasden from the association said. "Although this is a giant achievement, the parties' agreement will further result in a massive change in position for the USCIS, which now recognises that L-2 spouses enjoy automatic work authorisation incident to status, meaning these spouses of executive and managers will no longer have to apply for employment authorisation prior to working in the United States," the association said. What this means for India Spouses of H-1B and L-2 visa holders will no longer have to apply for work authorisation and need an employment authorisation document as proof in order to work in the United States. For H-4 spouses who have lawful status and merely need to renew their employment authorisation, they will now enjoy an automatic extension of their authorisation for 180 days after expiration should the agency fail to process their timely-filed applications, the settlement says. Dependents of H-1B visa holders are issued H-4 visas.

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IRCTC to run special ‘Shirdi Yatra’ tourist train

IRCTC will soon start operating Shirdi special tourist trains. As per the latest reports, a Bharat Darshan special tourist train, named Shirdi Yatra, will be operating from Madurai. Reports have it that the special tour will be covering four well-known tourist spots, namely Pandharpur, Shani Shingnapur, Shirdi, and Mantralayam. The package cost for the 7-day tours will be around INR 7060 per person, including GST; however, the train journey will be in sleeper class only. The package will include accommodation in non-AC, and road transfers will also be on non-AC vehicles. The package will also provide vegetarian food, travel insurance, tour escort, and provide protective kits to travellers, such as sanitisers and masks. Further, the Indian Railways has also launched a series of ‘Shri Ramayana Yatra Train Tours’ to promote spiritual tourism across the country. As per the reports, the first tour commenced on November 7, 2021, from Delhi's Safdarjung Railway Station, which covered all the places that are associated with Lord Rama. As per the IRCTC, the response for the first tour has been overwhelming so far, and it got booked entirely. Those interested in the train journey were even given the option to opt for Pilgrim Special Tourist Trains and Deluxe Tourist Trains depending on their budget.

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