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Air India Express to add more services in the Muscat – Kannur route from April 1

Muscat: Air India Express has announced that it would increase the number of services between Muscat and Kannur in Kerala. As per the latest schedule, there will be six weekly services from April 1 onwards. Meanwhile, the service from Muscat to Thiruvananthapuram has been upgraded to daily service. The airline will operate services from Muscat to Kannur on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, the aeroplane that departs at 9.45 am from Muscat would arrive in Kannur at 2.45 pm. Meanwhile, on Thursdays, the departure is at 7.35 am and the arrival is at 12.30 pm. The aeroplane that departs Muscat at 3.20 am on Fridays arrives in Kannur at 8.15 am. The plane leaves Kannur at 6.45 am on Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays and reaches Muscat at 8.45 am local time. On Fridays, the departure is at 12.20 am and arrival is at 2.20 am. The Air India Express to Thiruvananthapuram departs Muscat every day at 12.15 pm and arrives in Thiruvananthapuram at 5.40 pm. The aircraft that leaves Thiruvananthapuram at 8.30 am is scheduled to land in Muscat at 11 am .

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Commuters fear longer travel time post VB Express launch

In the past two years, South Western Railway (SWR) introduced five trains on Bengaluru-Mysuru route. Launching trains without proper platform support has resulted in bottleneck problems, both at Mysuru railway station and at Bengaluru station, resulting in excess travel time for passengers. Meanwhile, the proposal to operate the new Vande Bharat Express from Mysuru at 6am starting April 5 has caused a headache among commuters, who fear morning train services may get disrupted further. According to regular passengers, the travel time between the two cities is four hours because of platform congestion. Lakshmi Naidu, a regular early-morning traveller from Mysuru to Bengaluru, said earlier, Chamundi Express used to reach Bengaluru before 9.30am. Now, it reaches at 9.40am or 9.50am, which causes a lot of inconvenience to employees. "The train reaches Kengeri by 8.40am, but from there, it takes nearly an hour to reach KSR," she said. According to commuters, this isn't the story of one train. Most of the trains stop at Ramanagara or Kengeri for an hour. The problem has been reported for the last 2-3 years. However, the agencies concerned aren't finding any solution, said Nagesh K, another regular passenger. S Yogendra of Mysuru Railway Commuters' Forum said that trains are halted on the outskirts of both Mysuru and Bengaluru till they get clearance to enter the station platform, which causes the delay. SWR operates 35 pairs of trains on this route, including express and Memu trains. These trains are essential for the nearly 30,000 passengers who commute daily between Bengaluru and Mysuru, as well as to other destinations along the way. An SWR official said, "Trains to Mysuru start and terminate at various stations, including KSR Bengaluru, Sir M Visvesvaraya, Cantonment, Yeshwantpur, and Yelahanka. At KSR Bengaluru, we use the platforms to their full capacity, which presents difficulties in the arrival and departure. Delays can cause an effect on the schedule of trains on the same route. To mitigate this, the railways has taken up works on extending platforms 5, 6, and 7 under the Gati Shakti scheme. This will enable us to handle more trains smoothly in the future." Yogendra said the decision to operate Vande Bharat Express from Mysuru railway station at 6am is likely to disturb the movement of two popular trains - Chennai Express and Vishwamanav Express - two morning trains from Mysuru to Bengaluru. On this, the official clarified, "As the new service from Mysuru departs early in the morning, it will not encounter any platform issues." (With inputs from Suchith Kidiyoor)

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3 Maps updates to make summer travel a breeze

Get the best recommendations with new updates to lists To make the most of a trip, it’s important to get recommendations you can trust — so we’re making it easy to discover helpful lists from top sites and the Google Maps community, starting in select cities in the U.S. and Canada. Here’s how it works: say you’re planning a trip to New York or Los Angeles — just search for the city in Maps and swipe up to see curated lists of recommendations from people who know the city well. You’ll also see lists from sites you love, like The Infatuation’s expert-curated restaurants, Lonely Planet’s guides to iconic sites and hidden gems, The New York Times’ 36 Hours itineraries, and OpenTable's guides to the best new restaurants. If you find a list you like, save it to your map or share it with friends. Whether you’re a repeat visitor and want to try the new trendy spot in town or you’re planning an epic international vacation and want to visit one of the city’s best restaurants, now you can find the perfect place with restaurant lists created by Google Maps. These lists are based on places people are interested in or loving on Maps right now: The Trending list is updated weekly with places that have recently seen a spike in popularity on Maps. It’s ideal for helping you discover the latest hot spots. The Top list is home to places the Maps community has consistently loved. Come here to find an area’s tried and true, longstanding favorites. The Gems list is for places that might be a neighborhood's best kept secret. It's home to great restaurants that still fly under the radar. You’ll start seeing these lists in more than 40 cities across the U.S. and Canada this week. In the coming months, we'll also start highlighting some of the best lists from the Maps community, so if you’ve made a list you think others will love send it to listnominations@google.com to nominate it! Create and share the ultimate list with new customization tools Creating lists in Maps helps you organize the places you want to go and keep track of the places you’ve been, so you always have recommendations to share — whether you’re dropping them in the group chat when planning your trip or posting them to social media afterwards. To create a list tap the “New list” button in the Saved tab. From there, whenever you’re looking at a place on Maps, just add it to your list so you can save it for later and always see it pinned on your map. Understand what’s important about a place at a glance, thanks to AI No matter how much research you do before a vacation, plans can change — and sometimes you need to find information fast or pick a place on the go. You can now get a good sense of a place and its highlights at a glance, powered by Google’s AI identifying key insights from the Maps community. Pull up a place on Maps and you’ll see photos and reviews that summarize what people love about it, like a restaurant’s famous tacos or the laid-back vibe at a bar. When you’re checking out a restaurant and scrolling through photos of the food, we’ll use AI to help you identify what a dish is called (perfect if you’re in a new city and not familiar with the cuisine), and show you helpful information based on the menu — like what it costs, if it’s popular, and even if it’s vegetarian or vegan — so you know if you want to make a reservation.

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Kerala – Gulf passenger ship service aims to facilitate journey for Rs 25,000... Read more at: https://www.onmanorama.com/travel/travel-news/2024/03/29/kerala-gulf-passenger-ship-service-aim-facilita

Kochi: The Kerala Maritime Board has hastened the procedures for flagging off the much-awaited Kerala – Gulf ship service project. The Board authorities held meetings with various agencies including three companies that have expressed interest in the various aspects of the shipping service. April 22 is the last date for submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI). Meanwhile, the Board hopes that the companies that had attended the meeting would submit EOI. Chairman NS Pillai said that the Kerala government and the Maritime Board envisage a shipping service that allows passengers from various GCC countries to reach Kerala in 3 – 4 days. “The airfares may go up to Rs 70,000 – 80,000 during the peak seasons. We envisage a shipping service that allows the Gulf-based expatriates to reach their homeland for Rs 25,000, even during the season. Besides, hey should be able to carry up to 75 kg of baggage. Shipping companies that are interested in operating the service can reach out to the Maritime Board at any time,” the Chairman said. Cruise ship or passenger service? The representatives of the shipping companies that attended the meeting were curious whether the proposed service was a cruise ship or a passenger ship. The Maritime Board explained that they intended to start a passenger ship service that would benefit the commoners among Gulf-based expatriates. Besides, there were queries about the subsidies and other concessions. The Board replied that the companies could include such suggestions while submitting the EOI and promised that the government would consider allowing certain subsidies. The Maritime Board explained the scope of the passenger ship service that connects the Bepore port with the GCC countries, which will be beneficial for the expatriates in the Malabar region. Even though huge ships cannot anchor at the Bepore port, they could drop the anchor at the high seas and use feeder boats to transport the passengers. Bepore would be considered primarily for the project while the shipping companies could consider the possibilities of ports like Kochi that could accommodate bigger ships. Meanwhile, the Cochin Port Authority offered to allow concessions in the port charges for a year.

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BRO opens new route to reach Ladakh; the third and shortest route linking Manali to Leh

According to recent updates, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has accomplished a significant feat by finishing the construction of a 298 km road connecting Nimmu, Padam, and Darcha in Ladakh. It's reported that against the backdrop of ongoing border tensions with China, this accomplishment establishes a third access route to the strategically vital region, supplementing the existing routes from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh. This recently completed road will serve as a crucial artery for Ladakh, thereby offering essential connectivity to the region, particularly in challenging circumstances. It will strengthen defence readiness along the northern borders and stimulate economic growth in the Zanskar valley, effectively addressing security and developmental requirements. In contrast to other routes, this road will provide a shorter and more efficient pathway, with only one pass, Shinkun La, situated at an altitude of 16,558 ft. The initiation of tunnel construction at Shinkun La further stresses the commitment to establishing all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. The accomplishment of constructing the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road by the BRO represents a noteworthy milestone in improving connectivity and security in Ladakh. It exemplifies the organisation's steadfast dedication to nation-building and highlights the criticality of investing in sturdy infrastructure for both national defence and development purposes.

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The world's largest airport is bigger than Mumbai!

Located in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, King Fahd International Airport (KFIA) stands as a remarkable testament to human ingenuity and engineering prowess. Spanning an expansive area of approximately 776 square kilometers (301 square miles), it proudly holds the prestigious title of being the world's largest airport. Since its inauguration in 1999, this exceptional aviation hub has played a pivotal role in connecting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to destinations worldwide, accommodating millions of passengers annually. Speaking of how big the King Fahd International Airport is, it is bigger than the city of Mumbai! The total area of the city of Mumbai is 603.4 square kilometres. Crafted to meet the escalating needs of air transportation, King Fahd International Airport showcases cutting-edge facilities and infrastructure. Within its vast terminal complex lie contemporary conveniences such as duty-free outlets, dining venues, lounging areas, prayer spaces, and business amenities, all aimed at delivering unparalleled comfort and ease to passengers. A notable highlight of KFIA is its remarkable control tower, reaching a towering height of 80 meters (262 feet), ranking it among the tallest air traffic control towers worldwide. This commanding structure functions as the central hub of the airport, meticulously managing flight operations, navigation, and ground movements with exceptional precision and effectiveness. The airport boasts a wide runway system consisting of two parallel runways, each spanning more than 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) in length, designed to accommodate the largest commercial aircraft in the world. This well-thought-out arrangement allows KFIA to manage a diverse range of aircraft and maintain seamless operations, even during busy periods. In addition to its passenger terminals, King Fahd International Airport boasts dedicated cargo facilities, including extensive cargo aprons, warehouses, and logistics centres. These facilities cater to the growing demand for air freight services, facilitating the efficient movement of goods and commodities across the globe

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