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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
One more foreign airline in Kolkata-Bangkok section
1 2 3 Kolkata: The city will get a new international airline when Vietjet Thailand flies in from Bangkok on Nov 16. This will be the sixth airline to connect Kolkata with Bangkok and take the total flight count to 36 a week. The Thai subsidiary of Vietnam's low-cost airline Vietjet Air will operate four days a week. While the incoming flight will land in Kolkata before midnight every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, the departing flight will be in the early hours on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Monday. Bookings for the sector will commence on July 17. The airline will deploy its Airbus A320-200, which has 180 seats configured in an all-economy layout. Sources said the scheduled time of arrival for flight VZ770 is 11.20 pm, while the departure time for flight VZ771 is 12.20 am. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata This will be the airline's third flight to India. It currently operates a flight between Mumbai and Bangkok and has also announced a flight between Mumbai and Phuket. "There is a strong demand for flights between Kolkata and Bangkok. The new airline will not only offer more options for travellers, it will also help keep fares in moderation," said Travel Agents' Federation of India national executive committee member Anil Punjabi. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Investire per il futuro? Inizia da qui eToro Click Here Undo "With the visa-free entry for Indian travellers to Thailand available till the end of 2026, additional frequency and availability of seats will boost last-minute travellers, long weekend getaways, and at the same time become more cost-effective," said Travel Agents Association of India national executive committee member Manav Soni. Sources said Vietjet would assess load factors and yield trends in the first few months of operation before deciding to make it a daily flight. At present, there are five airlines that fly between Kolkata and Bangkok: IndiGo Airlines, Thai Airways, Bhutan Airlines, Thai AirAsia, and Lion Air. IndiGo also has a daily flight between Kolkata and Phuket.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Time of India
Geopolitics nudges Kol tourists eastwards
Kolkata: Tour operators and travel agents are urging clients to avoid travelling west this Durga Puja and winter and instead look at destinations in Southeast Asia, the Far East and Australia. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The advice stems from the unprecedented situation that many westbound travellers found themselves in last week, when several hundred flights from Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi were cancelled, leaving passengers stranded in these hubs for 48-72 hours. With no direct flights to Europe or America from Kolkata, Gulf carriers offered the most convenient connection to the west. But the chaos following the closure of airspace after Iran launched a missile attack against a US airbase in Qatar forced the travel trade community to rethink itineraries for clients during the ensuing holidays. "Unless my clients insist on travelling to Europe or the US, I will advise them to explore Southeast Asia, Japan-Korea and Australia-New Zealand. There is a lot to see in this part of the world. Though normal flights have resumed in the Gulf, the disruptions over the Israel-Palestine conflict since Oct 2023 and the larger one this June due to the hostilities between Israel and the US on one side and Iran on the other have rattled us," said Travel Agents Federation of India national executive committee member Anil Punjabi. Preliminary trends show seven out of 10 customers prefer to travel eastward rather than to the Gulf or beyond. Some are wary of the situation escalating again. With the Russia-Ukraine war showing no sign of ceasefire despite US president Donald Trump's intervention, many feel avoiding the region until stability returns may be the best call for this Durga Puja and winter. Travel Agents Association of India national executive committee member Manav Soni said travel to the peaceful east could be a better bet. "Other factors, such as lower costs and visa waiver by countries in Southeast Asia, offer ease of travel. But the foremost factor is the assurance of safety," Soni said. "One can take risks while travelling for work or meeting families and friends. But families don't want uncertainty on vacations. " Punjabi also said for Southeast Asia countries, where a visa was required, the processing time was much less.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kolkata to get back air link to Nepal after 11 months, direct flights from September 1
1 2 Kolkata: After a gap of nearly eleven months, Kolkata is set to have direct flight connectivity with Nepal's capital, Kathmandu. Travellers between Kolkata and Kathmandu currently have to travel via Delhi. Buddha Air, Nepal's largest private airline, will touch down in Kolkata on Sept 1. The airline, which operates a fleet of 18 ATR turboprop regional aircraft, will deploy a 70-seater ATR 72-500 on the Kolkata-Kathmandu sector. The airline will operate four flights a week — on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Buddha Air operated flights to Kolkata between May and Dec 2019 before they were withdrawn due to a combination of poor load and the Covid-19 pandemic effect. At that time, Air India used to operate four flights a week between Kathmandu and Kolkata. The airline suspended operations to Kathmandu in Oct last year. Sister carrier Air India Express, which was supposed to start service on the sector this March, delayed its plans. Kolkata is Buddha Air's second port of call in India. It has been operating flights to Varanasi for a decade. Buddha Air has been operating in Nepal since Oct, 1997 when it flew 16 people to Mt Everest and back in a Beechcraft 1900D aircraft. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like New Launch: 2/3/4 BHK Luxury in Panvel L&T Panvel Enquire Now Undo It currently operates an all-ATR fleet of 16 ATR 72-500 and two ATR 42-320 aircraft that do 160 flights a day to connect 15 destinations. In Nepal, Buddha Air flies to Kathmandu, Pokhara, Bharatpur, and Janakpur, among others. Travel Agents Federation of India national committee member Anil Punjabi said the introduction of flights would help revive tourism to Nepal from the east. "It is a repeat destination for those with families on both sides of the border as well as those keen on casinos. All that one requires is a govt ID like a Voter ID cards to travel," he said, adding that the only challenge is that Indian currency notes of Rs 500 denomination are not accepted in the neighbouring country. Travel Agents Association of India national committee member Manav Soni said the airline would not have difficulty filling up its seats but needed to be consistent in its operations. "Flight cancellation can impact passenger confidence," he opined.
India Today
16-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Air India plane crash: Will it have a negative impact on the aviation industry?
The deadly crash of an Air India Dreamliner near Ahmedabad has sparked urgent conversations around aviation safety in India and globally, with Boeing being at the centre of it. The accident resulted in the deaths of 274 people, including 241 on board and several individuals on the ground, among them five doctors staying at the BJ Medical College hostel. Only one person on the flight aircraft involved was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, registered VT-ANB, which was en route to London Gatwick and went down just minutes after departing from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. Immediately after the crash, aviation authorities ordered detailed inspections of Boeing 787 Dreamliners operated by Indian carriers, including Air India and crash brought Boeing's safety record back under the scanner. Experts added that this could trigger deeper global regulatory scrutiny of Boeing's production and maintenance HIT, BUT PASSENGER CONFIDENCE STABLEThere is no proof that Air India's operational handling or aircraft upkeep contributed to the crash, but the airline's image is bound to an interview with Bloomberg TV on Friday, Mark Martin, founder of Martin Consulting, said Air India has been more focused on its rebranding efforts than fixing fundamental problems like faulty seats and maintenance standards. These, he added, 'should have been the priority.'advertisementDespite the magnitude of the tragedy, air passenger numbers haven't dropped. Air travel continued largely unaffected at major airports, including Kolkata. 'People still have faith in flights as the safest mode of transport,' Anil Punjabi, Chairman (East), Travel Agents Federation of India, told The Times of India. "It's utterly relieving that people continue to instil their faith in air transport, which has always been the safest mode of passage. We have seen during major incidents like these, there is a knee-jerk reaction where people end up avoiding a particular mode of transport," Anjani Dhanuka, chairman (East) Travel Agents Association of India, told TOI. Reuters reported that the Paris Airshow opened on a sombre note following the crash. Boeing reportedly pulled back on promotional events involving the Dreamliner. A senior executive present at the show told the news agency, 'It's hard to celebrate new deals when the global mood is one of grief and concern.'TATA GROUP COMPENSATIONTata Group Chairman N. Chandrasekaran expressed deep sorrow and pledged full support to victims' families. 'This is a heartbreaking moment for all of us. We are working with authorities and have already started relief measures for the affected,' he said in a statement issued shortly after the India has announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of each deceased cabin crew member, and Rs 25 lakh for each passenger's next of kin. Additional support is also being extended to the families of victims who died on the terms of official response, the Indian government has set up a high-level investigative committee led by senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The committee is tasked with submitting an initial report within 30 days and a full report within three government has also called for a nationwide safety audit of all Boeing Dreamliners operating in India.(Disclaimer: The views, opinions, recommendations, and suggestions expressed by experts/brokerages in this article are their own and do not reflect the views of the India Today Group. It is advisable to consult a qualified broker or financial advisor before making any actual investment or trading choices.)Tune InTrending Reel
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Dreamliner crash shadow over IATA meet in Kolkata
1 2 Kolkata: Air transport, airline and travel agent officials in Kolkata attending a workshop on Friday wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence to pay respect to the crash victims. The workshop was held jointly by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the travel trade community. The formal discussion was about industry updates on the passenger load factor, busiest routes and how India had emerged as the third-largest domestic airline market globally, but the shadow of the Dreamliner tragedy hung over the room with everyone wondering how the aviation and travel trade industries would overcome the crisis. "A day after a tragedy of such magnitude, it is impossible to seamlessly discuss something else. Although air travel is supposed to be the safest form of transport globally, the Ahmedabad crash will have a direct impact on air travel for the next few days. Many are rescheduling their air travel, and there have been some cancellations as well," said TAFI national committee member Anil Punjabi. "We mourn the loss of lives of the passengers and cabin crew. " A senior IATA official, who explained how the Middle East was now the busiest route from India with 15 million travellers in 2024, surpassing Asia Pacific (12 million), Europe (9.8 million), and the US (4.8 million), pointed out the crash would dent global air travel but the sector was likely to undergo a resurgence soon. "There will be a direct impact. But the aviation sector has bounced back from any situation. It was proved after the Covid," he said. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
