The Ministry of Civil Aviation has placed abeyance on its recent directive requiring airlines to offer at least 60% of their seat for free selection, till further orders. The mandate was originally issued by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and was scheduled to get implemented on April 20, 2025. The decision follows a strong opposition from domestic carriers. They flagged...

Virgin Atlantic is increasing services between London Heathrow and Bengaluru (Bangalore) from 11 to 13 flights per week from June 1, 2026, through to the end of the summer season, marking a significant step towards double-daily operations on the route. The enhanced schedule builds on the airline’s growing Bengaluru presence and follows the introduction of additional...

Onora Hospitality, the parent company of boutique hospitality brand jüSTa Hotels & Resorts, has announced the signing of a riverside retreat located near Devprayag along the Alaknanda River in Uttarakhand. jüSTa Riverside Resort Maletha is scheduled to launch in April 2026 and will strengthen the brand’s presence across Uttarakhand’s key pilgrimage and leisure circuits...

Sapphero Hospitality LLP (SHR) has reported a stellar performance for the fiscal year 2026. Reflecting a robust post-pandemic recovery and strategic operational efficiency, the company announced a 7% increase in occupancy rates, a 10% rise in Average Daily Rate (ADR), and a 5% surge in Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) across its managed portfolio...

RateGain Travel Technologies Limited announced a strategic partnership with Razorpay as a Platinum Partner for RG Pay, RateGain’s unified technology infrastructure for the global travel and hospitality ecosystem. Through this partnership, RG Pay will bring Razorpay’s payment gateway and processing capabilities into its ecosystem to improve payment outcomes at the final step of booking...

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) announced the signing of a Gateway Hotel and Convention Centre in Kanamangala, Devanahalli, near Bengaluru Airport, Karnataka. This is a greenfield project. Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL, said, “With the rapid expansion around the airport, North Bengaluru has emerged as a significant growth corridor, and this signing...

Malaysia Airlines is expanding its East Asia footprint with the return of direct flights to Fukuoka, Japan, and the launch of new services to Shenzhen and Changsha, China. Commencing between July and September 2026, these additions bring the airline’s China network to nine key gateways and reinforce its commitment to providing greater travel flexibility across the region.

IndiGo announced the deployment of its second Airbus A321XLR on the Delhi–Istanbul route, with effect from April 19, 2026. The route enables the airline to offer seamless onward connections to over 50 international destinations via airline’s codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines. The airline will offer a dual‑class configuration with 183 Economy seats and 12 IndiGoStretch seats...

Atmosphere Core announces its strategic collaboration with Shri Rocky Dhar to launch an upper up-scale boutique hotel in the picturesque northeastern hill station of Shillong, Meghalaya. Slated to open in 2027, DHAR GOLF VISTA by Atmosphere Shillong will be located in the Meghalaya’s capital city.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Uttar Pradesh Chapter successfully organised a day-long AI Workshop on March 30 at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi. Attended by 50 members, the session aimed to equip the travel trade with the tools to become “AI Ready.” The workshop was inaugurated by Prof. Sushma Ghildyal (Dean, Faculty of Arts, BHU) and Pawas Prasoon...