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SpiceJet to launch 20 domestic flights from Dec 5; to bring Shirdi & Ranchi on its route map

The airline has announced the addition of Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, as its latest domestic destination. It has introduced non-stop flights connecting the city with the key metros of Delhi and Mumbai. The airline will operate daily flights on Delhi-Ranchi-Delhi sector and Mumbai-Ranchi-Mumbai sector. SpiceJet will also connect Shirdi, a major pilgrimage centre in Maharashtra with Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad with new daily non-stop flights. Shilpa Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to add Ranchi, one of the prime industrial centres of eastern India, to our domestic network. Our new flights connecting Ranchi with key metros of Mumbai and Delhi will boost trade and we see a strong demand from both business and leisure travellers. Our new flight services from Shirdi to Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad will prove to be beneficial to thousands of devotees who intend to visit the temple town after it was re-opened to pilgrims recently.” The airline has also introduced a host of new flights connecting Ahmedabad. These flights will operate on Ahmedabad-Jammu-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Guwahati-Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad-Kochi-Ahmedabad sectors. While the flights between Ahmedabad and Kochi will operate daily, flights on Ahmedabad-Jammu-Ahmedabad sector will operate on all days except Sundays whereas flights on Ahmedabad-Guwahati-Ahmedabad will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. SpiceJet will also enhance its operations with additional frequencies on the Delhi-Goa-Delhi (2nd frequency) and Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi (3rd frequency) sectors. The airline will deploy a mix of its Boeing 737 and Bombardier Q400 aircraft on the newly introduced routes. SpiceJet is celebrating the launch of its new flights by announcing introductory all-inclusive starting fares of INR 3,430 on Delhi-Ranchi, INR 3,980 on Ranchi-Delhi, INR 4,005 on Mumbai-Ranchi, INR 4,167 on Ranchi-Mumbai, INR 3,956 on Delhi-Shirdi, INR 3,981 on Shirdi-Delhi, INR 3,556 on Bengaluru-Shirdi, INR 3,457 on Shirdi- Bengaluru, INR 3,147 on Hyderabad -Shirdi, INR 2,931 on Shirdi-Hyderabad, INR 5,015 on Ahmedabad-Jammu, INR 5,030 on Jammu-Ahmedabad, INR 5,789 on Ahmedabad-Guwahati, INR 6,192 on Guwahati-Ahmedabad, INR 3,439 on Ahmedabad-Kochi and INR 4,980 on Kochi-Ahmedabad route. With the new flights, passengers from Ranchi, Shirdi and Guwahati will now be able to easily travel to a host of cities on SpiceJet’s domestic as well as international network.

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UK approves Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, rollout due next week

LONDON — The U.K. on Wednesday authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, marking another step in the global battle against the pandemic. The vaccine will now be rolled out in the country next week, with elderly people in care homes and medical workers first in line. The U.K. government is reportedly the first in the world to formally approve the Pfizer-BioNTech shot for widespread use, and it means Britain will be one of the first countries to begin vaccinating its population. “The government has today accepted the recommendation from the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine for use,” the government said Wednesday. “The vaccine will be made available across the U.K. from next week.” Pfizer’s Chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla, said the authorization was a “historic moment.” “This authorization is a goal we have been working toward since we first declared that science will win, and we applaud the MHRA for their ability to conduct a careful assessment and take timely action to help protect the people of the U.K.,” he said. “With thousands of people becoming infected, every day matters in the collective race to end this devastating pandemic.” Pfizer and BioNTech announced in July an agreement with the U.K. to supply 30 million doses of its mRNA-based vaccine, formally known as “BNT162b2,” once authorized for emergency use. That agreement was increased to 40 million doses in early October. As a two-dose vaccine, the U.K. will have enough doses to vaccinate around a third of its 66 million population. BioNTech said Wednesday that the delivery of the 40 million doses will occur throughout 2020 and 2021, with complete delivery fulfilment expected next year. A spokesman for the U.K.’s Department of Health and Social Care said it would soon be known which parts of the population would be the first to receive the vaccine. “The Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI) will shortly publish its final advice for the priority groups to receive the vaccine, including care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the clinically extremely vulnerable,” he said. The U.K.’s approval of the Pfizer vaccine, which was seen to be 95% effective at preventing Covid-19 in late-stage clinical trials, has prompted questions over when we could see regulators in the rest of Europe, and the U.S., make their respective decisions on whether to authorize the vaccine. On Monday, Pfizer and BioNTech said they had applied to the European Medicines Agency for the conditional marketing authorization of the vaccine. If the authorization is granted, it could enable use of the vaccine in Europe this month, BioNTech said, although the EMA later said on Tuesday that it would complete its review of the vaccine by December 29. Meanwhile, the FDA has reportedly asked a group of advisors to set aside three days in early December (slated to be around Dec 8-10) for potential meetings to discuss potential authorization of Covid-19 vaccines, so a decision could be made soon after. Time is of the essence when it comes to rolling out a vaccination, particularly for the U.K. It has the third highest number of confirmed cases in Europe, after France and Spain, with over 1.6 million infections, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. It has seen the highest number of deaths due to the coronavirus in Europe, however, with almost 60,000 fatalities. The number of daily infections has been steadily falling due to a second lockdown, that was lifted on Wednesday and replaced with a tiered system of restrictions, with the severity of the rules dictated by regional infection rates.

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In Varanasi, Modi once again invokes tourism

While support to the Covid-19 hit tourism and hospitality sectors of India may not figure in the government’s agenda, as yet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sure seems to know how crucial tourism is for the upliftment of the community at large. While inaugurating a six-lane widening project of the Varanasi-Prayagraj section of NH-19 in the PM’s Lok Sabha constituency, Modi went on to say that better facilities also help to encourage tourism in and around the areas. Stressing on the importance of connectivity, the PM said, “Whether it is a place related to faith or any specific work, people definitely see how easy it is to get there before going anywhere. Such facilities also encourage indigenous and foreign tourists, all types of tourists and devotees. Good roads, good railroads, good and cheap air facilities provide convenience to every section of the society.” Talking about the various projects that have been initiated in Varanasi, Modi said that while the road connecting the city to the airport has become the hallmark of development work in the city today, the connectivity of the railway station has also improved. He also pointed out the ongoing work at Ring Road Phase-2 and remarked that with its completion, heavy vehicles coming from Sultanpur, Azamgarh and Ghazipur will be able to directly exit this new six lane highway without entering the city. He added, “At the same time, efforts are being made to complete the construction work on the other highways soon. With the construction of these highways, travel to Varanasi, Lucknow, Azamgarh and Gorakhpur will become easier.”

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IRCTC Special Trains: Indian Railways passengers, note! Timings of these 11 trains revised; details

The timings of the various festival, as well as other special trains originating/terminating over Western Railways, have been changed with effect from 1 December 2020. Revised timings of special IRCTC trains: Indian Railways passengers, if you are planning to travel by train in the coming days then it is advisable to check the train timings before booking your tickets. Recently, the national transporter has revised the timings of various festival special and other special trains. According to a press release issued by the Western Railway zone, the timings of the various festival as well as other special trains originating/terminating over Western Railways have been changed with effect from 1 December 2020. Take a look at the details of 11 special trains with their revised timings and stoppages with effect from 1, 2 and 3 December 2020: 1) Dadar-Bhuj Superfast Special Train (Daily): Train Number 09115 Special will leave Dadar station at 3.20 PM and arrive Bhuj station at 06.35 AM, the next day from 2 December 2020. While Train Number 09116 Special will leave Bhuj station at 10.35 PM and arrive Dadar station at 1.55 PM, the next day from 1 December 2020. The train will halt at Borivali, Navsari, Vapi, Valsad, Surat, Ankleshwar, Anand, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Dhrangandhra, Viramgam, Samakhiyali and Gandhidham stations of western railways. 2) Porbandar-Delhi Special Train (Bi-weekly): Train Number 09263 Special will leave Porbandar station at 7.40 PM and arrive Delhi at 7.30 PM, the next day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 09264 Special will leave Delhi at 08.10 AM and arrive Porbandar station at 09.00 AM, the next day from 3 December 2020. The halts over Western Railways include Jamnagar, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Viramgam, Ambli Road, Mahesana and Palanpur railway stations. 3) Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Bhopal Special Train (Daily): Train Number 09323 Special will leave Dr Ambedkar Nagar station at 06.15 AM and reach Bhopal station at 10.55 AM, the same day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 09324 Special will leave Bhopal station at 5.00 PM and arrive Dr Ambedkar Nagar station at 10.15 PM, the same day from 1 December 2020. The train’s halts over Western Railways include Indore, Maksi, Dewas and Shujalpur stations. 4) Dr Ambedkar Nagar-Kamakhya Special Train (Daily): Train Number 09305 Special will leave Dr Ambedkar Nagar railway station at 12.45 PM and reach Kamakhya station at 1.50 PM, on the third day with effect from 3 December 2020. While Train Number 09306 Special will leave Kamakhya station at 05.35 AM and arrive Dr Ambedkar Nagar station at 06.05 AM, on the third day from 6 December 2020. The train will halt on Western Railways’ Indore, Ujjain, Dewas and Shujalpur stations. 5) Indore-Howrah Superfast Special Train (Tri-weekly): Train Number 02911 Special will leave Indore railway station at 11.30 PM and arrive Howrah station at 06.55 AM, the third day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 02912 Special will leave Howrah station at 5.45 PM and arrive Indore at 12.25 AM, the third day with effect from 3 December 2020. The train will halt on Western Railways’ Dewas, Shujalpur and Ujjain stations. 6) Mumbai Central-Okha Superfast Special Train (Daily): Train Number 02945 Special will leave Mumbai Central railway station at 9.15 PM and reach Okha station at 2.55 PM, the next day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 02946 Special will leave Okha station at 11.05 AM and arrive Mumbai Central station at 04.55 AM, the next day from 1 December 2020. The train will halt on Western Railways’ Dadar, Borivali, Valsad, Palghar, Vapi, Surat, Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Vadodara, Anand, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Khambaliya, Jamnagar, and Dwarka stations. 7) Valsad-Haridwar Special Train (Weekly): Train Number 09111 Special will leave Valsad railway station at 3.25 PM and reach Haridwar railway station at 2.40 PM, the next day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 09112 Special will leave Haridwar station at 5.30 PM and arrive Valsad station at 2.25 PM, the next day from 2 December 2020. The train will halt o­n Western Railways’ Navsari, Vadodara, Surat, Ankleshwar, Dahod and Ratlam stations. 8) Surat-Bhagalpur Special Train (Weekly): Train Number 09147 Special will leave Surat railway station at 10.10 AM and arrive Bhagalpur railway station at 7.00 PM, the next day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 09148 Special will leave Bhagalpur at 06.45 AM and arrive Surat railway station at 4.10 PM, the next day from 3 December 2020. The train will halt o­n Western Railways’ Udhna, Navapur, Dondaicha, Nandurbar and Amalner stations. 9) Bandra Terminus-Bhuj Special Train (Weekly): Train Number 09455 Special will leave Bandra (T) at 5.45 PM and arrive Bhuj railway station at 08.30 AM, the next day with effect from 1 December 2020. While Train Number 09456 Special will leave Bhuj station at 8.15 PM and arrive Bandra (T) station at 11.45 AM, the next day from 1 December 2020. The train will halt o­n Western Railways’ Borivali, Navsari, Surat, Vapi, Valsad, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Anand, Vadodara, Dhrangandhra, Ahmedabad, Viramgam, Samakhiyali and Gandhidham stations. 10) Gandhidham-Puri Special Train (Weekly): Train Number 02973 Special will leave Gandhidham station at 1.45 PM and arrive Puri railway station at 08.05 AM, o­n the third day from 2 December 2020. While Train Number 02974 Special will leave Puri railway station at 11.10 AM and arrive Gandhidham station at 06.00 AM, o­n the third day from 5 December 2020. It will halt o­n Viramgam, Surat, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Anand, and Nandurbar stations of Western Railways. 11) Ahmedabad-Puri Special Train (four days a week): Train Number 02844 Special will leave Ahmedabad station at 7.00 PM and arrive Puri railway station at 8.05 AM, o­n the third day with effect from 3 December 2020. While Train Number 02843 Special will leave Puri railway station at 5.30 PM and arrive Ahmedabad railway station at 06.35 AM, o­n the third day with effect from 1 December 2020. The train will halt o­n Anand, Bharuch, Vadodara, Surat and Nandurbar railway stations of Western Railways.

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IndiGo commenced flights to Vijayawada, Tirupati & Vizag from Dec 1

IndiGo has announced daily flights on the Bengaluru-Tirupati-Vijayawada- Visakhapatnam sectors with effect from yesterday,i.e, December 1. Flight No. 6E7282 Bengaluru – Tirupati will leave Bengaluru at 10.40 a.m. and reach Tirupati at 11.40 a.m, 6E7293 Tirupati – Vijayawada will leave Tirupati at 12.05 p.m. and reach Vijayawada at 1.20 p.m., 6E7172 Vijayawada – Visakhapatnam will leave Vijayawada at 1.45 p.m. and land in Visakhapatnam at 2.50 p.m. No. 6E7167 will take off from Visakhapatnam at 3.15 p.m. and reach Vijayawada at 4.25 p.m., 6E7247 will leave Vijayawada at 4.50 p.m. and reach Tirupati at 6.20 p.m. Flight No. 7317 Tirupati – Bengaluru will leave Tirupati at 6.45 p.m. and reach Bengaluru at 7.45 p.m. Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA) State President K. Vijay Mohan said in a statement that IndiGo had accepted the appeal of TTAA to connect the flight to Vizag. Passengers from Vizag can now book their tickets to Tirupati.

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India-Nepal ties heading for reset with travel air bubble, foreign minister visit on cards

Nepal has been sending some constructive indicators and is eager on transferring ahead on its relationship with India. During the practically one hour assembly between India’s overseas secretary, Harsh Shringla and Nepal’s Prime Minister, Okay P Oli, the discussions had been centered round normalising relations, which have been hit as a result of Lipulekh boundary row. Sources inform OneIndia that whereas Nepal desires the ties to be bettered, it will additionally like to debate the border row. The two international locations may revive negotiations over the Pancheshwar multi-modal challenge and likewise arrange a journey air bubble, the supply additionally stated. However India would tread cautiously as China seems to be wielding some affect over Nepal. India then again can also be wanting ahead to the go to by Nepal’s overseas minister, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali in December. The dates of the identical are presently being labored out. Indian Army Chief General M M Naravane’s current three-day go to to Nepal was largely geared toward resetting bilateral ties that got here below extreme pressure following a bitter border row between the 2 international locations. The assembly between Gen Naravane and Oli, who can also be the Defence Minister of Nepal, happened at his official residence in Baluwatar, Nepal Army sources stated. Prime Minister Oli stated that there was good friendship between Nepal and India, in accordance with his overseas affairs advisor Rajan Bhattarai. Oli expressed hope that the issues between the 2 international locations could be resolved by means of dialogue, Bhattarai stated in a tweet after the assembly. The Nepal Prime Minister talked about the centuries-old particular relations present between Nepal and India, and the custom of conferring Honorary General of Army on one another’s Army chiefs, Bhattarai stated. PM Modi to mark Dev Deepawali in Varanasi | Kashi decked up | Oneindia News The Indian Embassy stated that through the assembly, either side additionally exchanged views on the in depth bilateral partnership between India and Nepal. Gen Naravane reaffirmed that he would work to additional strengthen the defence cooperation between the 2 international locations.

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