Alitalia to restart India flights after a decade, Delhi-Rome daily from October 30
Indians will soon have
more flight choices to the west, particularly Europe, with greater capacity on these routes driving fares lower. Financially challenged
Italian airline litalia will restart flights to India after almost a decade. It will have a daily direct flights between Delhi and Rome from October 30 and offer three classes of travel — business, premium economy and economy.
Alitalia did not comment on its India plans, like will it expand operations to other cities here, despite repeated attempts.
The Italian airline "last flew from India in March 2008. They had six flights on the Mumbai-Milan sector and six flights on the Delhi-Milan sector — a total of 12 flights per week. It stopped flying India routes because of losses," said a senior official of a top Indian travel agency.
Cox & Kings' head (business travel) John Nair said: "The increase in direct connectivity between India and Europe is a boon for leisure and business travellers as this would reduce time spent on layovers and lead to an increase in demand for destinations across Europe. We are seeing a significant addition in connectivity between India and European points and this will also boost two-way tourism. Finally, this will also soften the air fares."
Alitalia is now an
Etihad "airways partner" as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier had put money in it three years back and now is its single largest investor with 49% stake in Italian airline. Italy is examining how this airline can survive — similar to India looking at all possible options for
Air India. Alitalia was privatized in 2008 and was state-owned till then like AI currently is.
The Etihad website describes Alitalia as "Italy's largest airline. With over 120 aircraft flying to Italy's largest cities and major international hubs.... in Italy, Europe, the Americas, North Africa and Asia." "From Abu Dhabi, fly to 20 cities in Italy and 48 destinations in Europe with a one-stop connection," the Etihad website says. Etihad has 24% stake in Jet and the Naresh Goyal carrier has several flights between India and Abu Dhabi.
Air India also has direct flights between Delhi and Italy. With Alitalia also restarting flights, the choice is all set to grow for Indian travellers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-october-30/articleshow/60803547.cms?from=mdr
First phase of Navi Mumbai airport will commence by 2019 end, says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis
Stating that the first phase of the much-delayed Navi Mumbai airport project will “commence” by December 2019, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said his government would issue a letter of intent (LoI) as awarding the contract is a “matter of time” now. He also said the pre-developmental works for the ambitious project will be completed by May next year. The CM’s statement assumes significance as award of the LoI is considered as an important step in taking the project forward, which is dogged by inordinate delays since its conception in 1997.
Infrastructure major GVK group had bagged the financial bid to build and operate the second international airport in the Mumbai metropolitan region at an investment of Rs 16,000 crore earlier this year, beating rival GMR group.
However, the project couldn’t make any progress as the state government has not yet approved and finalised the finance deal won by the GVK. Once the government gives its nod, a letter of award will be given to the contractor, after which a special purpose vehicle (SPV) can be set up to execute the project. “There are two phases of of Navi Mumbai airport. One phase is the pre-works in which you have to level the land, cut a hill and you have to change the course of the river. So these are the predevelopment works which we have awarded the contract and they have already started the work.
“So possibly the site with the pre-development works will be ready by May next year. The concessionaire for (the airport) is also nearly shortlisted. It is a matter of time that we will award the contract. We will issue the letter of intent to the concessionaire and what is intended is that the first phase of the Navi Mumbai airport should commence by December 2019,” Fadnavis told reporters on the sidelines of “ISB rpt ISB Leadership Summit” organised by the Indian School of Business here. The project has faced inordinate delays over the issues of environment and land acquisition since the state government approved it in 2007.
The project will be carried out on a public-private partnership (PPP) model and Cidco (City and Industry Development Corporation), a government authority for city planning, will incur pre-development work costs, which it will be later recovered from GVK. Interestingly, a CAPA Global Strategy Report for July-August, 2017, had recently stated that the airport is unlikely to commence operations before March 2024, as significant earthworks need to be performed at the site, located in Raigad district adjoining Mumbai. Meanwhile, replying to a query, Fadnavis said his government had requested the Centre to differentiate between smaller and bigger states in allotting the “ease of doing business” ranking.
“What we have requested the DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion) is to slightly differentiate between the large states and the small states. Having said that, we will aim that we should be a leading state (in the ranking). That we will achieve this year,” the CM said. He said the new GST (Goods and Services Tax) regime could have some hiccups initially, but his government is capable of achieving the targets. On the recent torrential rains that led to flooding of roads in Mumbai, the chief minister said the pumping network to flush out water into sea has begun and 60 per cent of the work has been completed.
He refused to take questions on the Shiv Sena, the belligerent partner of the ruling
BJP which has recently indicated to pull out of the coalition government. Earlier in his address to ISB students, Fadnavis underlined the need to shift people from agriculture to other sectors, as 50 per cent of people in Maharashtra are dependent on agriculture.
“Agriculture does not have the capacity to consume (to sustain) 50 per cent of people. We need to shift 15 to 20 per cent of people to other sectors of economy..to service sector…to industries sector, and we have started doing that,” he said. Fadnavis said Maharashtra registered a 15.5 per cent growth in agriculture, which was on a downward spiral, after he took over as chief minister three years ago.
http://www.financialexpress.com/ind...says-maharashtra-cm-devendra-fadnavis/868003/
