Tag Archives: covid-19 pandemic

In largest ever airline rescue package, Germany bails out struggling Lufthansa

Lufthansa

In the biggest ever bailout package in aviation history, Lufthansa and the German government have finalised the terms of a €9 billion ($9.8 billion) rescue deal, following weeks of intense negotiations over the future of the airline. The rescue package will give the government a 20% stake in the group, which owns airlines in Germany, […]

Aftershocks of the aviation crisis will extend to 2023: IATA

IATA

Any comeback by the beleaguered airline industry will extend into 2023, according to new data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). IATA estimates that passenger traffic won’t rebound to pre-crisis levels until at least 2023. It expects that global passenger demand in 2021 will be 24% below 2019 levels and 32% lower than […]

Sinclairs Hotels introduces new initiatives to keep guests safe

As a result of the unprecedented crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, all the seven properties of Sinclairs Hotels at Siliguri, Darjeeling, Dooars, Kalimpong, Burdwan, Port Blair and Ooty are currently closed. The launch of the eighth property in the Sinclairs’ chain – Sinclairs Gangtok -scheduled on April 15 had to be postponed. In response […]

Hospitality startup Bobobox swims against the tide, secures funding

Bobobox indonesia

Indonesian hospitality startup BoboBox has secured US$11.5 million in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures. Other new and existing backers such as Kakao Investments, Sequoia Surge, and Mallorca Investments also participated in the round, according to a statement. Bobobox provides affordable hotel accommodation in the form of modular capsules. […]

Japan looks at novel ways to boost tourism, may even subsidise holidays to lure travellers

japan

There are talks in Japan about subsiding holidays of international travellers, to draw them in. Japan has witnessed the worst passenger arrival numbers in its history due to the pandemic, and is looking at ways to restart tourism. In fact, the Japan Tourism Agency has proposed paying foreigners half the cost of taking a holiday […]

California’s tourism industry nosedives, as pandemic devastates economy

california beach

Californian tourism has been on a growth curve for more than a decade. However, the coronavirus outbreak seems to have put the brakes on it. Tourism Economics projects California will lose $72.1 billion in state-wide travel related spending in 2020. It has also found the pandemic will affect 613,000 California jobs by the end of […]

Air India opens bookings for domestic flights

Air India

Air India has informed flyers that bookings for domestic flights will start from today. Tweeting about the same, the national carrier said, “Our domestic flight bookings will start from 1230 hrs today. To book login to Air India website or contact authorised travel agents or visit our booking offices or call customer care.” After a […]

China acquires stake in cash-strapped Norwegian Air

norway

China has acquired a stake in budget airline Norwegian Air after the cash-strapped carrier underwent a major restructuring, according to a notification to the Oslo Stock Exchange. BOC Aviation, owned by the Chinese government via subsidiaries including Bank of China and China Investment Corporation, has emerged as one of the new owners of the Norwegian […]

Welcome Aboard New Normal: Flying restrictions firmly in place as safety guidelines take root

airport

No meals, no eatables, no magazines, no on-board sales, Aarogya Setu not required for kids below 14, limited baggage, minimal use of lavatory, less contact by security staff and using masks throughout the journey. That’s new age flying for you. India has issued detailed guidelines for airlines, airport, passengers and other stakeholders, for resumption of domestic […]

IndiGo to join Vande Bharat Mission

Indigo Airlines India

IndiGo will join the Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded overseas. This will be the first instance of a private airline joining an exercise that was a monopoly of Air India till date. In a statement on Thursday, the country’s largest airline said that it has been authorised to operate 97 reparation flights between […]

Hilton resumes operations in mainland China

Hilton Changzhou China

Hilton has announced that all its hotels in China have officially resumed operations. Each hotel has implemented strict anti-epidemic measures to ensure the health and safety of guests and employees, the hospitality major said. Hilton said it has also made adjustments to policies and operations in order to meet the needs of guests and the […]

American carriers announce new safety measures

flights

US carriers JetBlue Airways and United Airlines have announced fresh safety measures aimed at restoring confidence in travel, as several executives pointed to signs of domestic demand improving. A Reuters report said that American states are starting to reopen and airlines expect an increase in domestic travel over the extended holiday weekend for Memorial Day […]

Kerala Tourism rolls out procedure to be followed while accommodating NRKs on paid quarantine

kerala tourism logo

Kerala Tourism has stated that hotels accommodating non-resident Keralites (NRKs) on paid quarantine will have to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) as detailed below: PRE- REQUISITES AND CONDITIONS • The guests willing for paid quarantine should register themselves with the online portal designed for paid quarantine hotel bookings. The details of persons shall also […]

Eleven European nations agree on freedom of movement to restore tourism

croatia

Eleven European Union (EU) member states have agreed on a set of principles to ensure freedom of safe travel, in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. The agreement was announced following a videoconference that took place between the ministers of foreign affairs of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Austria and Slovenia. “Freedom of movement and […]

Domestic flights to start once states open airports

flights

The domestic flight operations in India will resume once the state governments are ready to open airports, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday. The Centre alone cannot make a decision in this regard, Puri added. “It is not up to Centre alone to decide on resuming domestic flights. In the spirit of […]