News

Vistara-AI to operate 5.6k weekly flights

NEW DELHI: Air India Group has completed the operational integration and legal merger between Air India and Vistara, creating a full-service carrier. The new full-service carrier will operate over 5,600 weekly flights and connect more than 90 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 208 aircraft. The airline will now be flying over 120,000 passengers every day and offers an extended worldwide connectivity to over 800 destinations through more than 75 code share and interline partners, Air India said in a press statement on Tuesday. Preparation for the full-service merger commenced more than two years ago, and has seen the induction of more than 6,000 staff from Vistara into a new organisation structure, harmonisation of operating procedures across the four airlines, and alignment of over 140 IT systems. More than 4,000 vendor contracts have been consolidated, 270,000 customer bookings migrated and 4.5 million Club Vistara frequent flyer accounts inducted to Air India’s recently-redesigned frequent flyer program, Maharaja Club. Consequent to the merger of Vistara and Air India, Singapore Airlines, which held a 49% share in Vistara, becomes a 25.1% shareholder in the resultant Air India group. The merger of Air India and Vistara follows the merger of the Group’s low-cost airlines Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly Air Asia India) on 1 October 2024. The unified Air India Group now operates over 8,300 weekly flights on 312 routes, connecting more than 100 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of 300 aircraft.

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Sri Lankan airlines promotes Ramayana Trail in unique ad

An advertisement made by Sri Lankan Airlines garnered a lot of appreciation on social media platforms for showing the "Ramayana Trail" which took the viewers on a journey to different iconic locations related to the Hindu epic Ramayana. In the five-minute advertisement, the grandmother is seen narrating the Hindu epic to her grandson through a children's book. In the video, the grandson questions about the island where Sita was taken by Ravan after getting kidnapped. Then, the grandmother tells him the story of the kingdom of Ravan which is today Sri Lanka. "All the places in the Ramayana are real. Today we know Lanka as Sri Lanka," the grandmother says and the video shows the visuals of Ravan's Cave close to Ella town where it is believed Sita was kept before being taken to the Ashoka Vatika, which was inside the palace of the demon king. In the video, the Seetha Amman Temple – also called Ashok Vatika Sita Temple – was shown. In today's time, it is maintained by the Indian Tamils of Sri Lanka. The video also mentioned the bridge built by Rama's army to reach Sri Lanka which is the Ram Setu bridge that connects Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu to the Sri Lankan coast.

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Pankaj Tripathi becomes the face of MP State Tourism

Exciting development for travel and Bollywood enthusiasts—Pankaj Tripathi, the beloved Bollywood actor, has been named the new face of Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Known for championing the diverse beauty of India, Tripathi will now shine a spotlight on the unique allure of Madhya Pradesh—a place close to his heart both personally and professionally. Madhya Pradesh is often called the heart of India for its vibrant wildlife, pristine landscapes, ancient architecture, and historical landmarks. For Tripathi, this isn’t just another destination; it’s a place filled with cherished memories. Reflecting on this opportunity, Pankaj Tripathi expressed his gratitude: “I am deeply honoured to be chosen as the face of the Madhya Pradesh Tourism. Madhya Pradesh is not just a destination for me—it’s a place that holds countless memories and connections, both personally and professionally. Having spent so much time here filming projects like Stree, Stree 2, Lukka Chhupi, Oh My God 2 and Ludo, I’ve experienced firsthand the captivating landscapes, the warmth of the people, and the unmatched cultural richness that define Madhya Pradesh. He further adds, “As someone who genuinely believes in the power of travel to open minds and enrich lives, I couldn’t be more excited to help showcase the beauty of this state to the world. From the untouched natural wonders to majestic architectural sites and vibrant wildlife, Madhya Pradesh has something for every traveller. I’ve always preferred exploring India’s own treasures over travelling abroad, and Madhya Pradesh truly stands out as one of the most remarkable places to visit in the country. This role allows me to share that love with others and hopefully inspire people to discover the wonders of Madhya Pradesh.”

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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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