In days of smart, networked technology and no shame over collateral damage, what will blow up next -- cars, mobile phones, TV sets, refrigerators? And where?, asks Shyam G Menon.
As the Tata group inches closer to taking over Air India in January 2022, the $242-billion conglomerate will also inherit a stake in Kerala's Cochin airport. The Tatas would become the only airline to have an operational stake in a major Indian airport. The airport is a strategic hub connecting India to Middle East nations - home to the largest share of Indian migrant workers. In addition to Air India and Air India Express, private carrier Indigo also uses Cochin to ferry the lucrative 'Malayali Gulf traffic' to multiple locations like Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait and Bahrain, among others. According to regulatory filings, Air India has a three per cent stake in Cochin International Airport.
Air India Express, a new low-cost airline, and a subsidiary of Air India, is aimed at Keralites working in the Gulf.
V Thulasidas, Air India Chairman and Managing Director, has announced a bonanza package of 2,000 additional seats comprising seven additional flights from Kerala to destinations in the Gulf and Middle East.
Images from Saturday's action in the Nations League group stage matches.
'All they need is proper leadership.'
The government is taking the first steps towards opening of the Gulf region to private airlines -- by setting a high-level committee under the aegis of the aviation ministry -- to examine the contentious issue.
The Israel Defence Forces said that missile destroyers were deployed 'in accordance with the assessment of the situation, and as part of the increased defence efforts in the region'.
Air-India's budget service to destinations in the Gulf from Kerala is expected to start in April, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the state assembly on Tuesday.
As a part of its route rationalization and cost-cutting measures, Air India plans to replace its twin-class aircraft with all-economy ones belonging to low-cost subsidiary Air India Express on few Gulf routes from this month end.
Kuwaiti authorities are conducting DNA tests on the bodies of those killed in the devastating fire incident in southern Kuwait's Mangaf area and an Indian Air Force aircraft is on standby to bring back the mortal remains of Indians killed in the incident, officials said on Thursday.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday chaired a meeting of India's top envoys from Gulf countries to discuss the situation in conflict-hit Iraq where the Indian government is in the process of facilitating departure of nearly 10,000 of its nationals from non-conflict zones.
A welfare fund meant for the Indian workers in the Gulf countries is in the advanced stage of finalisation, Minister of State for External Affairs Digvijay Singh said.
Passengers flying to West Asia can soon see fares going down by 10 to 30 per cent as Indian domestic operators such as Jet, its low-cost carrier (LCC) Jet Lite and Air Deccan are all set to fly to this market.
Despite difficult working conditions, Indians are still seeking jobs in Gulf countries
The world needs to wake up to this new dimension of war at sea and be prepared to face the 'unknown enemy' who have the advantage of attacking at their choice of location and time, cautions Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Kuwaiti authorities have identified the bodies of 45 Indians and three Filipino nationals killed in the tragic fire incident in a building housing foreign workers in the Gulf Kingdom, a top official said on Thursday.
Rohit & Co. eye better batting show against USA
US central command said that several US personnel are undergoing evaluation for "traumatic brain injuries" and at least one Iraqi service member was wounded in the attack.
The United States has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George H W Bush to move into the Arabian Gulf to provide President Barack Obama with options for possible military action against militants in Iraq.
The 30-day visa-free entry is also currently enjoyed by eight ASEAN countries for the purpose of social visits, tourism and business.
Labourers in Saudi Arabia have asked authorities to enact a law that bans open-air work from 11 am to 3 pm during summer months due to potential health hazards.
With 150 out of 200 unionised pilots unconditionally signing the undertaking, Air-India is prepared to operate eight additional flights to the Gulf and a fifth service to New Jersey from July 5.
The low cost public sector carrier, Air India Express, will soon start operations from some southern cities to the Gulf and West Asia at 30 per cent lower fares than the regular ones, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said on Thursday.
Notwithstanding the strain in ties, the navies of India and China carried out a well coordinated operation to rescue a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden which was hijacked by Somali pirates on Saturday night.
A red alert was declared in 8 districts of Kerala on Thursday by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) as rains continued to lash various parts of the state and disrupted the day-to-day lives of the people as roads got flooded or caved in and many got displaced from their homes to relief camps.
At least seven passengers were injured as a Gulf Air plane from Bahrain with 137 passengers veered off the runway as it was landing at the international airport and went into a muddy area, damaging its nose wheel on Monday morning.
Curtailment of flights between India and China will help Air India and other airlines to boost their seat occupancy and market share.
The Airbus-340-300 (TK-720) skidded off the rapid exit taxiway at 4.13 am. All passengers, including crew, are safe and deplaned after the incident, a MIAL official said.
Most of India's oil supplies are expected to stay safe because of the country's good relations with both Russia and Iran. That would take care of over a third of India's supplies.
West Asian carriers are up against Air India and IndiGo in the battle for seats on lucrative international routes.
Air-India has curtailed its services from Mumbai to far east and Gulf region and Chennai-Dubai by one flight each per week in view of a drop in the passenger load in the wake of the US-led war in Iraq.
The Indian Navy warship INS Tarkash, which is currently deployed in the Gulf of Guinea for anti-piracy operations, took part in a joint maritime exercise with Nigerian Navy Patrol Ships Kano, Osun, Sokoto and Nguru last week.
Air-India plans to expand its 33 aircraft fleet by dry leasing two Boeing 747-400 aircraft and increasing the number of seats during the summer season.
Karnik was mandated to oversee commercial and sales functions of the airline. He took over from Hameed Ali, who joined the airline's board.
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