Tag Archives: air travel

Premium economy on Chennai-Hong Kong route

Cathay Pacific has unveiled its Premium Economy cabin on flights from Chennai to Hong Kong, reinforcing its commitment to exceptional customer experiences. Operating with the advanced Airbus A350-900, the airline offers Business, Premium Economy, and Economy classes, catering to diverse traveller needs. This move highlights the carrier’s focus on providing comfort and choice for its passengers.

 

Anand Yedery, Regional Head of Customer Travel and Lifestyle, emphasised the importance of this new offering for Chennai travellers. He noted that Premium Economy bridges the gap between Business and Economy, addressing evolving traveller preferences. Designed for medium- and long-haul flights, the cabin ensures added comfort and personalised services, reflecting Cathay Pacific’s dedication to redefining air travel standards.

 

The Premium Economy cabin features spacious seating with extra legroom, enhanced recline, and ergonomic headrests for relaxation. Amenities include full-length calf rests, leather-padded footrests, and larger meal tables. Passengers also enjoy Disney+ Originals and an updated interface, combining entertainment with luxury. Personal storage solutions add convenience, making the travel experience seamless and sophisticated.

 

To meet growing demand, Cathay Pacific is increasing flight frequencies on the Chennai-Hong Kong route. Between 2 January and 30 March 2025, flights will rise from four to five weekly, boosting connectivity. With its focus on premium services, the airline continues to elevate the travel experience for Indian customers.

Oman Air appoints InterGlobe as GSA in India 

 

 

InterGlobe Air Transport Limited has been appointed the exclusive General Sales Agent (GSA) for Oman Air in India, marking a significant step towards strengthening Oman Air’s presence in the Indian market. This partnership will leverage InterGlobe’s extensive network and expertise to enhance customer service, sales, and operations across the country, focusing on providing a seamless experience for Indian travellers.

 

Oman Air, known for its exceptional service across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Asia, and Europe, operates over 90 weekly flights to 10 Indian cities from its Muscat hub. InterGlobe Air Transport will provide comprehensive support, including passenger airline management, reservations, ticketing, sales and marketing, and contact center operations. This collaboration is designed to streamline operations and boost Oman Air’s visibility and service offerings in India.

 

The partnership is expected to redefine air travel between India and Oman by combining InterGlobe’s local expertise with Oman Air’s world-class hospitality. Travellers will benefit from improved connectivity, streamlined booking processes, and exceptional customer support, enhancing the overall travel experience between the two nations.

 

Sunil V A, Oman Air’s Regional Vice President, expressed excitement about strengthening their Indian operations, while Siddhanta Sharma, CEO, InterGlobe Air Transport, highlighted their commitment to elevating the customer journey and contributing to the airline’s growth in India.

Lufthansa launches innovative Allegris First Class

 

 

Lufthansa is preparing to launch its Allegris First Class on long-haul flights, with inaugural services to Bangalore on November 9 and Mumbai on November 15. The new cabin features two individual suites and a unique Suite Plus on the A350-900, designed to enhance comfort and privacy for travellers. Initially, the innovative product will be introduced to select loyal guests before becoming more widely available as additional aircraft are equipped.

 

The First Class Suite is equipped with advanced features, including seats that can be heated or cooled to suit personal preferences. Each suite offers ceiling-high walls, a lockable door, a spacious table, and a large screen, setting a new standard for luxury in air travel. A personal wardrobe provides ample storage for passengers, allowing them to change comfortably and keep their belongings close at hand.

 

In addition to the Allegris First Class, Lufthansa has received the prestigious APEX Innovation Award for its advancements in in-flight entertainment. Partnering with Meta and MSM. Digital, the airline is testing mixed reality technologies to enhance the passenger experience. Business Class Suite guests will have access to VR headsets, enabling them to enjoy a variety of content during their flight.

 

This exclusive offering includes captivating cinema-style movies, interactive 360-degree travel podcasts, and relaxation exercises, all designed to elevate in-flight entertainment. By integrating cutting-edge technology with luxurious cabin experiences, Lufthansa aims to set new benchmarks in air travel comfort and innovation.

Yatra Online integrates NDC Content for Corporate Travellers through Self booking portal

Yatra Online Limited has become the country’s first Travel Management Company (TMC) to integrate New Distribution Capability (NDC), a technology developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) via Self Booking Tool.

This milestone transforms how businesses book air travel, delivering richer content, greater transparency, and enhanced flexibility.
NDC, developed by IATA, modernises airline distribution by giving travel agents and intermediaries access to richer content, including tailored offers, dynamic pricing, and real-time seat availability. With Yatra’s integration of NDC, corporate travellers benefit from a seamless & transparent booking experience with a broader range of fare options, lowest price availability, better cost-efficiency, and smarter decision-making.

Yatra’s Self Booking tool integrates this rich NDC content—adding clarity to flight choices, while personalized offers enable a more tailored booking experience. Direct airline connections streamline the process, enabling easy integration with Yatra’s systems and simplifying corporate travel planning.

Dhruv Shringi, Co-Founder and CEO at Yatra, said, ” We are proud to be the first Travel Management Company in India to integrate NDC for corporate travel. This advancement aligns with our mission to offer cutting-edge solutions that transform the travel experience for our corporate clients. By offering NDC content, we can provide richer content, greater fare transparency, and access to tailored offers, ensuring that our corporate customers get the best value and choice when booking their air travel. This step reinforces Yatra’s commitment to driving innovation in corporate travel management, making air travel more efficient and tailored to business needs.”
Yatra’s adoption of the NDC standard aims to elevate the corporate travel experience, offering businesses a more efficient, cost-effective, and personalised booking process

GST notices to airlines detrimental to aviation growth of India: IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has expressed concerns regarding the recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) notices issued by India’s Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) to some foreign airlines.

These notices, targeting expenses incurred by foreign airlines’ headquarters, are seen as potentially detrimental to India’s aviation growth. IATA argues that this approach does not align with international norms and practices, pointing out that Indian airlines do not face similar demands abroad.

Xie Xingquan, Regional Vice President for North Asia and Asia Pacific, IATA, criticised the DGGI’s stance, emphasising that the GST application fails to consider the unique nature of international air transport. He called for a globally consistent policy framework to support the international nature of air travel and mitigate risks to India’s aviation sector.

The association, representing over 330 airlines, urged the Indian government to address the issue promptly to avoid undermining the country’s aviation potential.

 

ACI World, Airbus ink deal for reducing aviation impact on environment

Airports Council International (ACI) World and Airbus have signed a cooperation agreement to support the industry’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of aviation.

This partnership leverages the strengths of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturer and the largest international association of airports to make significant progress in both decarbonising aviation and mitigating aircraft noise impact.

This alliance will address key areas including Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operations efficiency, and aircraft noise management practices. It will foster the exchange of information and perspectives on low carbon operations, communicate industry progress, jointly develop guidance materials, and potentially formulate unified positions on policies and standards to achieve the industry targets.

Luis Felipe de Oliveira, Director General and CEO, ACI World, said, “ACI World and Airbus’ ground-breaking cooperation agreement marks a pivotal step in our journey towards a net-zero carbon aviation industry. This strategic alliance underscores the unwavering commitment of airports worldwide to sustainable aviation, ensuring that we not only reduce our environmental impact but also maximise the socio-economic benefits of air travel. By focusing on key areas such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels, hydrogen technologies, advanced air mobility, operational efficiency, and aircraft noise management, we are setting new benchmarks for sustainability in aviation, and paving the way for a greener future.”

“This partnership marks a significant step in our collective efforts to reduce aviation’s environmental impact,” said Julie Kitcher, Airbus Chief Sustainability Officer. “By combining our technological expertise with ACI World’s vast network and operational insights, we aim to influence policies and standards that support sustainable aviation and drive industry-wide innovation. Together, we can create a cohesive and aligned approach to achieving our decarbonisation targets and enhancing the sustainability of the global aviation sector.”

This collaboration builds on the successful partnership between Airbus and ACI EUROPE, which began two years ago and which has significantly strengthened the relationship by working together on the deployment of alternative energies including hydrogen and SAF within European alliances, sharing technical data with European airports and communicating progress at key industry events. The expansion of this collaboration to a global scale underscores the importance of integrated efforts between aircraft manufacturers and airport operators on a global scale.