Tag Archives: Amritsar

Goa’s Tourism Minister Unveils Sports-Powered Development Vision

Goa Tourism Minister, Rohan Khaunte, announces plans to expand the state’s vision, prioritising sports tourism as a key driver of economic and social development. With over 16% of its GDP and 30-35% of employment directly or indirectly linked to tourism, Goa sees #GoaBeyondBeaches as a crucial strategy for revitalising its economy.

The #VacationGoa campaign, fueled by technology and a passion for sports, promises a kaleidoscope of experiences for digital nomads and locals alike.

Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte announced plans to promote spiritual tourism through partnerships with Amritsar and Guwahati, leveraging the connectivity offered by Mopa International Airport.

The Tourism Minister emphasised the state’s shift towards niche tourism segments like adventure, wellness, and spiritual tourism, aiming to attract visitors seeking diverse experiences beyond the traditional beach holidays.

Hero Motocorp, Indian Oil, KSG India, and more lend their strength to Sportstar’s vision, igniting the spirit of sports.

Malaysia Airlines eyes code-share with Indian carrier; to expand network in North East & South India

In a bid to strengthen its foothold in the lucrative Indian aviation market, Malaysia Airlines is set to enter into a code-share partnership with an Indian carrier. Captain Izham Ismail, the Group Managing Director of Malaysia Aviation Group, expressed the airline’s enthusiasm for participating in India’s success story.

Currently operating 69 weekly flights to nine Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, Malaysia Airlines is eyeing further expansion in both the North East and South India. The airline recently increased its weekly flights on the Amritsar-Kuala Lumpur route and is actively engaged in negotiations for a comprehensive codeshare agreement with an undisclosed Indian airline.

The forthcoming collaboration aims to enhance connectivity and provide seamless travel experiences for passengers. The airline, having successfully undergone financial restructuring, is now on a path to revival and growth.

Captain Ismail shared insights into the airline’s future plans, indicating a keen interest in North East destinations like Guwahati and Kolkata, along with potential flights to Trichy, Visakhapatnam, and Goa in South India. The expansion will be facilitated by the introduction of new Boeing 737-8s and Airbus 330 neos to the airline’s existing fleet of 100 planes, with projections to reach 170 by 2030.

Acknowledging the rapid growth of India’s aviation market, Captain Ismail emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships in the face of competition from domestic carriers like IndiGo and Air India. Malaysia Airlines has a history of successful partnerships with airlines such as Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qatar Airways.

The overarching goal for Malaysia Airlines is to be among the top 10 global airlines and the top 5 in the Asia Pacific region. Captain Ismail emphasized the airline’s commitment to providing an enhanced Customer Value Proposition (CVP), focusing on upgrading services, cabin comfort, and in-flight dining to cater to India’s diverse population.

With India’s annual domestic air passenger traffic projected to double to around 300 million by 2030, Malaysia Airlines is positioning itself to tap into the immense potential of this dynamic market. The strategic moves underscore the airline’s ambition to play a significant role in shaping the future of air travel in the region.

 

AirAsia to start Kuala Lumpur-Ahmedabad direct flights from May 1

Expanding its India network, AirAsia is set to connect Kuala Lumpur with Ahmedabad.

This new route, set to take flight on May 1, 2024, will add to the airline’s rapidly growing connectivity to Malaysia, marking AirAsia’s 11th route from India, and third new route in 2024 alone. This will also serve as AirAsia’s first step into the state of Gujarat from Malaysia, further cementing its foothold in South Asia.

To celebrate this milestone, AirAsia is offering promotional fares for travellers from Ahmedabad wishing to explore Kuala Lumpur. One can fly from only INR7,999 to the Malaysian city and from just RM209 from Kuala Lumpur to Ahmedabad while booking till 28 January 2024 for travel between May 1, 2024 till March 19, 2025 on the airasia Superapp or www.airasia.com.

Bo Lingam, Group CEO, AirAsia Group Limited, said, “We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce yet another venture of AirAsia from the beautiful Ahmedabad to Kuala Lumpur as we continue to celebrate the commendable initiative by the government for visa free entry into Malaysia for Indian nationals. A city that is steeped in deeply-rooted traditions and heritage, Kuala Lumpur is a world-famous tourist hotspot for adventure seekers, globe trotters and foodies alike.

“When we launched our very first flight into India in 2008, our vision and mission had always been to enhance affordable connectivity between our two nations. Both Malaysia and India have plenty of untapped tourism potential and it’s been amazing to see how travel has boomed in both countries in the last decade. AirAsia will continue to broaden our horizons of connectivity, which undoubtedly will encourage and allow for more people to travel to various unexplored gems of India affordably.”

AirAsia operates a robust network of routes directly from India to Malaysia from both northern and southern cities ‒ Chennai, Tiruchirappalli, Kochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Kolkata via its short-haul airline AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) and to New Delhi and Amritsar via medium haul affiliate airline AirAsia X (flight code D7).

Come February 2024, AirAsia will be commencing flights from Kerala, making it the second direct route from the state after Kochi followed by Jaipur in April and Ahmedabad in May.

 

Air India Express to launch daily flights from Mumbai & Hyderabad to Dammam

Air India Express is set to launch daily direct flights connecting Mumbai–Dammam and Hyderabad–Dammam. The operations on these routes will commence on January 19, 2024, and flights can now be booked with fares starting at INR 15,312 (BOM-DMM), INR 16,613 (HYD-DMM), SAR 355 (DMM-BOM), and SAR 505 (DMM-HYD) onwards on the airline’s award-winning app, official website airindiaexpress.com, and other major booking platforms.

Mumbai- Dammam Departure for Flight IX 0281 at 2:55 and arrival at 4:50
Dammam- Mumbai Departure for Flight IX 0282 at 17:20 and arrival at 23:30
Hyderabad – Dammam Departure for Flight IX 0929 at 13:40 and arrival at 16:20
Dammam – Hyderabad Departure for Flight IX 0930 at 5:50 and arrival at 12:35

Commenting on the launch, Tara Naidu, VP, International Business at Air India Express, said, “Saudi Arabia is a rapidly emerging market with immense potential and promising opportunities. We offer 28 weekly direct flights connecting Dammam with Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Kochi, Mumbai, Mangalore, and Thiruvananthapuram. The new routes will bolster our network, enabling us to provide convenient one-stop itineraries from Dammam to destinations such as Bhubaneswar, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Gwalior, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ranchi, and Visakhapatnam. Additionally, we also operate nine weekly flights each from Jeddah and Riyadh to various destinations in India.”

Air India Express offers daily direct flights connecting Mumbai with eight destinations, including key destinations such as Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Dammam, Lucknow and Sharjah. With 15 daily direct flights, the airline connects Hyderabad with 10 destinations across its network, including Amritsar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Goa, Kochi, Lucknow, Visakhapatnam and more.

 

Malaysia Airlines starts direct flights between Ahmedabad & Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Airlines has commenced operations between Ahmedabad and Kuala Lumpur on December 1.

The inaugural flight departing from Kuala Lumpur via MH106 was welcomed upon arrival at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) at 9:40 pm local time, before continuing its journey back to Kuala Lumpur at 10:40 pm local time via flight MH107.

This development follows the commencement of Malaysia Airlines’ direct operations from Amritsar and Trivandrum last month. With the addition of direct services from Ahmedabad, the airline will be operating 65 weekly flights to India from nine key hubs. Presently, the airline operates flights from New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Amritsar, and Trivandrum. In addition, the airline also recently announced that beginning January 15, 2024, it will be increasing its frequency to Amritsar from two times weekly to four times weekly following strong demands and load factor performance.

Commenting on the development, Dersenish Aresandiran, Chief Commercial Officer, Airlines, Malaysia Aviation Group, said, “India presents a tremendous opportunity, given the burgeoning demand and passenger traffic in the recent past. The launch of direct flights between Ahmedabad and Kuala Lumpur not only reaffirms our commitment to providing seamless travel experiences but also underscores the pivotal role India plays in the ever-evolving landscape of air travel. In addition, with the commencement of 30-day visa-free entry for visitors from India into Malaysia, we look forward to providing travellers with more options for connectivity and convenience as they embark on their journeys onboard Malaysian Hospitality.”

A spokesperson from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, said, “Ahmedabad remains the cultural and commercial epicentre of Gujarat and a significant part of western India. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Malaysia Airlines and hope that the new services will help bolster connectivity, fostering cultural and economic ties between these two vibrant regions.”

Air India launches ‘FlyAirIndiaSale’ for India-US travel route, offer valid till October 5th

Air India has launched a limited-period, #FlyAirIndiaSale, to offer attractive fares on all India-U.S. routes in Economy Class and Premium Economy Class (available on select U.S. routes).

All-inclusive Economy Class fares start from INR 42,999 (one-way) and INR 52,999 (return).

All-inclusive Premium Economy fares start from INR 79,999 (one-way) and INR 1,09,999 (return). Air India’s Premium Economy class is currently available on select routes- Bengaluru-San Francisco, Mumbai-San Francisco, and Mumbai-New York.

Bookings under the sale are open for only five days, from 01 October to 05 October 2023, for travel between 01 October and 15 December 2023.

Air India operates 47 non-stop flights every week from Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai to five American cities- New York, Newark (New Jersey), Washington DC, Chicago, and San Francisco.

The sale fares are also available from several other Indian cities for one-stop flights to the U.S. via Delhi, Bengaluru, or Mumbai. This enables travellers from cities across India, such as Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Chennai, Kochi, and Kolkata, among others, to travel seamlessly to the U.S. at the highly discounted fares.