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Madhya Pradesh's new intra-state air service links major cities, 50% discount on fares

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Thursday launched intra-state air service named 'PM Shri Paryatan Vayu Seva' by flagging off the first flight under it from Bhopal to Jabalpur. He also gave boarding passes to the flyers and opened a ticket-booking counter. With this, Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Rewa, Khajuraho and Singrauli cities in Madhya Pradesh will be getting connected by air, officials said. To boost the air service, a 50 per cent discount in fare has been doled out for 30 days, they said. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB) will operate the air service. It is being run on Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis with M/s Jet Serv Aviation Private Limited (Flyola), an official release said. According to some flyers, the fare of the intra-state service will be little more than the tariff of Vande Bharat Express train after a 50 per cent discount for 30 days. They said that it will take just 55 minutes to reach Indore from Bhopal via the air service. "On the basis of the response, we are going to expand the service," MPTB principal secretary and managing director Sheo Shankar Shukla told PTI over phone. "Right now, the planes which are being run are six-seater with twin engines. If the response is good, we will go for 11-seater and then 20-seater aircraft and so on to expand the service," he added. "These planes are very safe and meet international standards. We are going to provide the best and regular service at competitive prices," Shukla said.

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Bangkok to Beijing by train: Thailand expands rail network for epic train trip

Train travel between Bangkok and Beijing is inching closer as Thailand prepares to expand its rail network. The Southeast Asian nation will run a trial service between Bangkok and Laos’ capital of Vientiane between July 13 and 14, according to the State Railway of Thailand. When up and running, the new link will improve transport between the two countries and China, Ekarat Sriarayanphong, an official at the railway agency, said in a statement. The launch of the Thailand-Laos connection will mean it’s possible to travel by train from Bangkok to China’s capital via stops in Vientiane and the southern Chinese city of Kunming, where there is a separate semi-high speed service to Beijing. The roughly 2,000-mile journey, though the area’s mountainous terrain adds to the distance, will take almost a full day. That compares with just short of five hours for a non-stop flight. There’s already a high-speed train operating between China and Laos that offers a route for Thai goods to be transported via rail to Kunming, according to a Nikkei report. That’s helped reduce delivery times to China to 15 hours from the two days it takes for trucks to carry freight along the mountainous route, it said. Thailand is looking to improve its connectivity with China, its top trading partner, to help boost economic growth that’s lagging behind regional peers. The Southeast Asian nation’s exports to China totaled almost $32 billion in the first 11 months of last year, with top products including fruit and rubber products, according to government data. Its imports from China were valued at $65.3 billion in the same period, led by sectors including electric equipment and machinery. Beyond trade, the two nations are also forging closer tourism ties. Visitors from China can stay for up to 60 days in Thailand, while tourists from Thailand can stay in China for 30 days. The tourism sector is set to get a further boost from a separate, albeit much-delayed, project that will see a high-speed rail system link Thailand to China through Laos by 2028.

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Young Indians drive surge in travel to Thailand

Young Indians are driving the increased Indian tourist inflows to Thailand with Airbnb reporting a more than 60 per cent year-on-year increase in bookings by Indian guests and tourists to Thailand between 2022 and 2023. This surge in interest, particularly notable during the recent Holi and Easter long weekends, saw searches for Thai stays by Indian travelers increasing by over 200 percent during these periods. The surge in travel interest is predominantly driven by India's younger demographic. Gen Z and Millennials, who constitute the largest share of the Indian population, accounted for 80 percent of Airbnb bookings to Thailand in 2023. According to data from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, India ranks as the fifth largest inbound market for Thailand. The recent boost in travel can be attributed to several factors, including the Thai government’s visa-free policy for Indian citizens, which has been extended until November 11, 2024, and the availability of numerous non-stop daily flights. This policy has significantly lowered barriers to travel, making Thailand an even more attractive destination for Indian tourists.

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Qatar Airways and China Southern to Offer Better Travel Options with New MoU

Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines have taken a significant step forward in their strategic alliance by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at expanding travel options and convenience for passengers. This agreement, which includes a comprehensive codeshare arrangement, is designed to enhance the market presence and collaborative efforts of both airlines in key areas such as cargo services and frequent flyer programs. The MoU was formally signed by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, and China Southern Airlines President and CEO, Mr. Han Wensheng. This partnership underscores the commitment of both airlines to providing enhanced connectivity and service quality for their passengers. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “As part of our robust partnership with China Southern Airlines, Qatar Airways is building on the success of the new route from Doha to Guangzhou, which was launched in April this year, to offer more choice to both airline passengers. It is a proud milestone for us to serve the prominent Chinese market in collaboration with our key partner, and look forward to extending our award-winning offerings to travellers flying through China.” President and CEO of China Southern Air Holding Company Limited, Mr. Han Wensheng said: “China Southern Airlines launched a direct route from Guangzhou to Doha in April, which has strongly promoted the connectivity between China and countries and regions along the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’. In the future, China Southern Airlines will deepen cooperation with Qatar Airways, strengthen complementary advantages, and work together to bring more comfortable and convenient travel experiences to our passengers.” Qatar Airways and China Southern Airlines are set to deepen their collaboration by extending enhanced frequent flyer benefits to members of their respective loyalty programs, Privilege Club and Sky Pearl Club. Passengers will now be able to earn and redeem Avios and Miles on flights operated by both airlines. Additionally, tier benefits such as lounge access and other exclusive airport services will be available, further elevating the travel experience for loyal customers. This strengthened partnership aims to provide seamless and rewarding journeys for frequent flyers across both networks.

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Western Railway Undertakes Pre-Monsoon Works To Ensure Smooth Travel For Commuters

Western Railway is committed to provide smooth travel for its commuters, to keep the wheels of trains running and ensure uninterrupted services, especially during the monsoons. Due to the sustained efforts and infrastructure upgradations, the suburban operations have become better in the past few years during the monsoons, and WR ran train services smoothly and normally over Mumbai suburban section with minimum disruptions, despite heavy rainfall. Western Railway is undertaking several monsoon preparatory works on a mission mode along with proper upkeep & maintenance of the mechanical, signalling, electrical assets & equipment, etc. In this direction, Niraj Verma, Divisional Railway Manager of Mumbai Central conducted inspection of Vasai Yard on 12th June, 2024. He was accompanied by Senior Divisional Engineer (Coordination), Senior Divisional Engineer (South), Senior Divisional Signal & Telecom Engineer (South) and other senior railway officials. According to Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, to ensure uninterrupted services during the ensuing monsoon, specific areas of concern are being identified and all possible efforts are taken so that the work is completed on time. The work for improvement to drainage system at Vasai Yard is being undertaken and a Traffic Work Order (TWO) at Point No 215/216/217/219/187 is progressing at a fast pace. After completion of this TWO, there will be better & more efficient reception & dispatch of trains in the Goods yard During the course of inspection, Verma inspected and discussed the other undergoing pre-monsoon preparations such as provision of dewatering pumps, cleaning of central and side drains, desilting of culverts, track circuiting of signaling department, etc. Based on the past history of water logging between Vasai – Nalasopara, DRM advised some innovative works such as gated opening in protection wall for one way discharge of rain water, cross drain of HDPE pipe in half moon shape, which will facilitate easy cleaning. At Vasai Yard, some locations where chocked ballast were observed, it was advised for screening of ballast to improve cross drainage.Western Railway is ensuring continuous monitoring and all efforts are being taken for maintaining disruption free travel to commuters.

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Air India Express to operate daily flights from Mangaluru Intl Airport to Abu Dhabi from July 22

Air India Express (IX) is all set to increase frequency of its flights from Mangaluru International Airport to Abu Dhabi to a daily flight from July 22, 2024. At present, IX operates 4 flights in a week to the capital city of United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. This will also result in uptick in daily flights to Bengaluru to 8, with IX and IndiGo restarting flights and IX routing aircraft for enhanced Abu Dhabi operations. At present, IndiGo (4) and IX (1) operate a total of 5 flights daily on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru sector. From July 8, the daily flights on this sector will go up to 6, with IX restarting its second daily flight. This number will further increase to 7 from July 22 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. IX will operate this additional flight onwards to Abu Dhabi from Mangaluru. The Bengaluru-Mangaluru leg will operate purely as a domestic flight and Abu Dhabi passengers will board at Mangaluru. From August 1, flights on Bengaluru-Mangaluru sector will go up to 8 on three days in a week – Monday, Wednesday and Friday respectively. IX will operate the third flight on these days to go with its two daily flights. IndiGo will operate 5 daily flights including the fifth flight which it announced in the summer schedule starting March 31. For operations on this sector that sees high passenger footfalls, IX uses the Boeing-737 Max and IndiGo uses the Airbus series aircraft. On the Mumbai-Mangaluru sector, IX will operate the afternoon flight from July 16 in place of Air India, which will continue to operate the morning flight. Currently, airlines from Mangaluru International Airport, operate 5 daily flights to Mumbai and Bengaluru, 2 daily flights to Chennai and Hyderabad respectively, one daily flight to Delhi, 3 weekly flights to Pune and 1 weekly flight to Tiruchirappalli. International flights operation includes 2 daily flights to Dubai by IX and 4 weekly flights by IndiGo, 4 weekly to Dammam, 3 weekly to Muscat, 2 weekly to Doha and Bahrain and 1 weekly each to Kuwait and Jeddah – all by IX.

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