News

71 km of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway in Karnataka set to launch by November

A key 71-kilometer section of the Bengaluru-Chennai Expressway, passing through Karnataka, is set to open by the end of November 2024. This announcement comes from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), marking an important step forward in the completion of the project. The expressway, which will span a total of 260 kilometers, connects Bengaluru and Chennai, significantly reducing travel time between the two cities. The stretch in Karnataka has faced some delays, primarily due to the need to relocate a temple near Hoskote, at Jinnagara Cross. Now that the temple has been moved, construction work has resumed at full pace. According to Vilas P. Brahmankar, NHAI's Bengaluru Regional Officer, the entire Karnataka portion of the expressway is complete, with only a 400-meter stretch left to finish. Once the entire expressway is operational, it will provide a four-lane, high-speed route linking the three southern states—Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. This ₹17,900 crore project, South India's first greenfield expressway, is set to revolutionize travel between Bengaluru and Chennai by reducing the journey time from the current seven hours to just three. The expressway is being constructed in three phases in Karnataka. Package 1 covers the 27.1 km stretch from Hoskote to Malur, Package 2 spans from Malur to Bangarpet (27.1 km), and Package 3 extends from Bangarpet to Bethamangala (17.5 km). By the end of November, all these sections will be fully open for commuters.

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Air India-Vistara Merger Marks Milestone with First Doha-Mumbai Flight

Air India’s merger with Vistara is finally complete, and the consolidated full-service carrier looks to grow its business and operations further amid an evolving landscape in Indian aviation. Vistara had its last flight on November 11, and the first flight of the unified carrier took place between Doha and Mumbai. First flight after the merger On November 11, a milestone was achieved as the Airbus A321neo of former Indian full-service carrier Vistara took off from Doha’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) for Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) as an Air India flight. The aircraft left at 22:07 and landed in Mumbai at 04:02 early morning. Air India has decided to add ‘2’ to the flight codes of all flights operated by former Vistara aircraft. As such, the flight from Doha to Mumbai flew as AI 2286. Around 115,000 customers bought Vistara tickets before the merger and are expected to fly on a unified Air India. Vistara stopped booking tickets under its brand for all flights after November 11. All passengers trying to book Vistara are now directed to the Air India website.

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Emirates Group records profit of AED 10.4bn for H1 2024-25

The Group closed the first half year of 2024-25 with a solid cash position of AED 43.7 bn (US$ 11.9 billion) on September 30, 2024, compared to AED 47.1 bn (US$ 12.8 billion) on March 31, 2024. The Emirates Group announced its best-ever half-year financial performance, posting a profit before tax of AED 10.4 bn (US$ 2.8 billion) for the first six months of 2024-25, surpassing its record profit before tax for the same period last year. This is the first financial year that the UAE corporate income tax, enacted in 2023, is applied to the Emirates Group. After accounting for the 9% tax charge, the Group’s profit after tax is AED 9.3 bn (USD 2.5 billion). Demonstrating its strong operating profitability, the Group maintained a robust EBITDA of AED 20.4 bn (US$ 5.6 billion), slightly lower from AED 20.6 bn (US$ 5.6 billion) last year. Group revenue was AED 70.8 bn (US$ 19.3 billion) for the first six months of 2024-25, up 5% from AED 67.3 bn (US$ 18.3 billion) last year. This reflects the consistently strong customer demand across business divisions, and across regions. The Group closed the first half year of 2024-25 with a solid cash position of AED 43.7 bn (US$ 11.9 billion) on September 30, 2024, compared to AED 47.1 bn (US$ 12.8 billion) on March 31, 2024. The Group has been able to tap on its own strong cash reserves to support business needs, including payments for new freighter aircraft orders and other debt payments. The Group also paid AED 2 billion in dividend to its owner, as declared at the end of its 2023-24 financial year. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group said, “The Group has surpassed its record performance of last year to deliver a fantastic result for the first half of 2024-25. This again illustrates the power of our proven business model working in combination with Dubai’s growth trajectory as a city of choice to live, work, visit, connect through, and do business in.

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Delhi Metro Launches Bike Taxi Service, Adds Women Drivers for Female Commuters

Many Delhites depend on the Delhi Metro for their daily commute to work, college etc. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has launched a new bike taxi ride facility for all Delhi metro passengers. This latest feature was formally launched by Dr Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, DMRC on November 11, 2024, DMRC announced on their official X handle. This bike taxi service optimises rider routes and ensures shorter, more efficient travel time. The service can be booked from Delhi Metro's official mobile app, DMRC Momentum (Delhi Sarthi 2.0). The Bike taxi service is presently available from 12 Metro stations - Dwarka Sec-21, Dwarka Sec-10, Dwarka Sec-14, Dwarka Mor, Janakpuri West, Uttam Nagar East, Rajouri Garden, Subhash Nagar, Kirti Nagar, Karol Bagh, Millennium City Centre Gurugram and Palam. The bike taxi drivers are kept within a specified radius, ensuring reduced travel time. People can avail of two types of bike taxis-RYDR for all commuters and SHE RYDS for women, by women. 'SHE RYDS includes trained and verified women-driven bike taxis to provide a secure commute for female passengers. It empowers women to travel independently at their convenience and safely to their destination. It also offers economic opportunities for women drivers. Electric bikes are used under this service to reduce carbon footprint. The service includes real-time GPS tracking and ride monitoring. The bike taxi is affordable. It has a minimum charge of ₹ 10, followed by ₹ 10 per km for the first 2 km, and ₹ 8 per km after that.

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Pompeii Limits Daily Visitors to Combat Overtourism

As per the latest news reports, starting November 15, Pompeii Archaeological Park is all set to put a limit into the footfall of visitors, with a daily cap of 20,000 tickets to control crowd sizes. It will start to schedule tickets to control the number of visitors during the peak time. Tickets will also be available in timed slots to help manage the crowd. The park is taking this action in an effort to safeguard the historical integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage site and prevent overtourism. With over 4 million visitors this summer exploring the ancient ruins of the Roman city famously buried by Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., Pompeii saw record-breaking numbers of visitors. Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel stressed that restricting visitors will help prevent potential harm to both the site and visitors. The park is introducing the "Greater Pompeii" project, which includes free shuttle services to other ancient sites like Stabia, Torre Annunziata, and Boscoreale, in addition to ticket restrictions. The intention is to lessen the strain on the main site by enticing tourists to explore these lesser-known but culturally interesting locations surrounding Pompeii. Zuchtriegel claims that by moving away from mass tourism and promoting a slower pace that honours the local environment and cultural history, these actions seek to provide visitors with a more pleasurable and sustainable travel experience. After the pandemic, the number of visitors to well-known locations has not only reached pre-2019 levels but has also surpassed them in some locations, placing a burden on ecosystems and local resources. The park's new regulations are a component of a larger plan to strike a balance between conservation and tourism.The park's director added that the new daily cap will prevent the number of visitors from increasing further, as the site presently receives an average of 15,000 to 20,000 visitors every day. According to Zuchtriegel, the goal of this project is to promote sustainable tourism while giving tourists the opportunity to enjoy the area's rich cultural and historical assets outside of the main archaeological site.

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Gurugram to Greater Noida in record time

In a recent update, the National Capital Region (NCR) is all set for a major change in its transport infrastructure with the introduction of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). This semi-high-speed rail corridor will connect key urban centers, stretching from Rajiv Chowk in Gurugram to Noida Sector-142 and Surajpur in Greater Noida. The main stop would be at Bata Chowk in Faridabad. Spanning 60 km, the RRTS aims to significantly reduce travel time, traffic congestion, and air pollution in the region. The project will feature eight intermediate stations along its route, with an estimated total cost of around INR 15,000 crore. Once operational, it is expected to provide a fast and efficient alternative to the congested road networks of NCR, offering a reliable mode of transport for thousands of commuters daily. In a recent meeting in Delhi, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Nayab Singh Saini discussed plans to further expand the metro network and develop the RRTS corridor. They explored proposals to extend the RRTS line to connect Sarai Kale Khan to Karnal, enhancing connectivity between Delhi and Haryana. Another important proposal is to extend the metro line from Gurugram to AIIMS in Badsa, improving access to key medical institutions. In addition to these developments, there is an ongoing assessment to extend the RRTS network to key locations around Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), including Gurugram, Faridabad, and Jewar Airport. The plan envisions two new lines, one starting from Palam Vihar in Gurugram, to further streamline travel within the NCR and beyond.

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