Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort reopens after renovations

 Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Offshore Island has welcomed its first guests following a $55 million dollar renovation.

The reopening is the first of a series of milestones in this commemorative 40th anniversary year for the Sandals Resorts brand.

Situated on 15 sprawling acres, the 404-room Sandals Royal Bahamian embraces the easy-going spirit of the Bahamas from the pastel pink of the flamingo to the vibes of traditional Junkanoo.

From basking in new beachfront swim-up butler and club level suites to trying new culinary concepts at a choice of 13 restaurants, guests can enjoy a combination of authenticity and luxury at Sandals Royal Bahamian.

“The new Sandals Royal Bahamian encompasses a new era in travel, inviting our guests in love to connect with the vibrant culture, natural wonders and authentic traditions of the beautiful Bahamas — and in turn, reconnect with each other,” said Sandals Resorts executive chairman, Adam Stewart.

The new Island Village is comprised of standalone villas named after remote Bahamian cays, which represent the provincial Bahamas in pink, blue and white accents with striped awnings.

Butler villa suites each have private pools and outdoor Tranquility Soaking Tubs.

The refreshed East and West Bay accommodations offer a dynamic array of room and suite categories, including beachfront butler suites in the east bay, where a new infinity swim-up pool ends where the sand begins.

Deserted beaches and colourful coral reefs await guests at the resort’s secluded private island, Sandals Barefoot Cay, located just one mile from the shore.

Couples can sail aboard the resort’s new Love Runner boat and spend the day reconnecting on the quiet shores featuring a pool bar with swings, an infinity-edge jacuzzi, outdoor shower and new restaurant, Aralia House - serving up fresh seafood and authentic Caribbean delicacies.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3504/Sandals-Royal-Bahamian-Resort-reopens-after-renovations

AirAsia changes name to Capital A as it grows beyond an airline

 Malaysia's AirAsia Group Bhd said on Friday it had finalised the name change of its listed holding company to Capital A Bhd as it seeks market recognition of its growing portfolio of businesses beyond the core budget airline.

The company's airline business has been hard-hit during the pandemic due to strict travel rules in Asia, leading Malaysia's stock exchange to this month classify the firm as financially distressed though it has been raising funds to bolster its balance sheet.

Capital A has been investing heavily in payments business BigPay, logistics arm Teleport and its mobile Super App to gain other sources of revenue, though they remain in growth phases and were loss-making in the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2021.

"Over the past two years we have spent the downturn in flying building a solid foundation for a viable and successful future, which is not solely reliant on airfares alone," Capital A Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said in a statement. The airline business will retain the AirAsia brand, which is well known in Asia, he added.

The carrier on Thursday reported it filled 80 per cent of seats on offer in the fourth quarter of 2021 and had the highest number of passengers since the start of the pandemic as travel rules began to ease. "Domestic travel has already started to rebound in our key markets," Fernandes said. "I am hopeful borders will reopen gradually throughout 2022 and we will see a return to normal capacity for our international services by the middle to third quarter of this year."

https://www.rehanshienterprises.com/news/3508/AirAsia-changes-name-to-Capital-A-as-it-grows-beyond-an-airline

Unexplored destinations of Central India to fuel your wanderlust

 When planning a holiday, we usually think about going to those places that we have heard of often or have been to before. Popular tourist destinations like Munnar, Goa, Pondicherry and Coorg are the places we tend to head to time and time again instead of trying out the road less travelled.

Our country has a lot more to offer in terms of a fulfilling holiday than what we are aware of. Many undiscovered destinations and lesser-known jewels are just waiting to be explored! Read on to know about some of the relatively unknown and unexplored travel jewels in Central India.

1. Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, Madhya Pradesh

Interested in learning about human life in India from the Stone Ages? Head to Bhimbetka. Located 45 kms away from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters for 10 kms inhabited more than 100,000 years ago! Some of the rock shelters feature prehistoric cave paintings about 30,000 years old.

These cave paintings show animals, early evidence of dance and hunting. The Bhimbetka site has the oldestknown rock art in India, considered the oldest petroglyphs in the world. Interestingly, Bhimbetka gets its name from Bhima (the second Pandava brother) and Baithaka, meaning seat or lounge – Bhimbetka meaning Bhima’s resting place or Bhima’s Lounge.

2. Gandikota, Andhra Pradesh

Located in the Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh, Gandikota is a small village and a historical fort situated on the right bank of the Penna River, which used to be the seat of power for many rulers like the Kalyani Chalukyas, the Pemmasani Nayakas and the Golconda sultanate. The fort was initially made of sand by the Kakatiya Raja in 1123 and later was transformed into a major fort with 101 towers by the Nayakas.

Gandikota is also known for the Gandikota Canyon – a 300-foot-deep gorge that is said to be carved by the Penna River. The top of the gorge gives a breathtaking view of the fort, the surrounding forests and the Penna River.

3. Patan, Gujarat

Once the capital of Gujarat for 650 years, Patan (108 kms away from Ahmedabad) was founded by Vanraj Chavda - the first of the Chavda kings in the 8th century. It was considered to be the world’s tenth largest city at the beginning of the 11th century.

Patan is a city that overflows with a rich historical past and legacy. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Rani Ki Vav, an 11th century, 7-storey step-well that boasts of more than 500 intricately carved sculptures and the Mara-Gurjara style of architecture.

What’s more? Patan is located on the banks of the Saraswati River (of what probably remains of the ancient extinct river) and is also famous for the finest hand-woven Patola sarees produced here to date.

4. Tarkali, Maharashtra

Known for its beautiful Tarkali beach, this small village is located in Malvan in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, 410 km away from Pune, at the confluence of the Karli River. The Tarkali beach has recently been declared the ‘Queen Beach’ of the Konkan region. It offers several water sports options and activities like scuba diving, snorkelling, parasailing and dolphin spotting – all following the international standards of safety and guidance.

Tarkali is one of the best places to come and learn scuba diving under the guidance of some of the best trainers. The Sindhudurg Fort stands on a small island on the Arabian Sea, just a few metres away from the Tarkali beach and is a great place to reminisce about the Maratha Empire and the valour of the great King Shivaji Bhonsle. And that’s not all!

You can even stay in a houseboat on the backwaters of the Karli River, much like in Alleppey in Kerala and also satiate your taste buds to your heart’s content with some delicious, finger-licking local Malvani cuisine. So, step aside Goa and Kerala… Here comes Tarkali!

5. Sirpur, Chhattisgarh

Located on the banks of the Mahanadi River in Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh, Sirpur was the capital of the Panduvanshi dynasty in ancient times. Sirpur (78kms away from Raipur), also referred to as Shripur, is a major archaeological site known for its temple ruins related to Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism. There are currently 22 Shiva temples, 5 Vishnu temples, 10 Buddhist viharas and 3 Jain viharas. The archaeological site containing these monuments is known as the Sirpur Group of Monuments.

Interestingly Sirpur, or Shripur as it was known in ancient texts, was also visited by the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hieun Tsang in the 7th century. According to his memoir, some 10,000 Mahayana Buddhist bhikshus (monks) lived in Shripur in some 100 monasteries, and there were over 100 temples.

6. Konark, Orissa

Konark, located 22kms away from Puri and 35 km away from Bhubaneswar in Orissa, is famous for the Konark Sun Temple, dedicated to the Sun God, built by Narasimhadeva I in the 13th century. The temple has been built to resemble a 100 ft high chariot with massive wheels – all built out of stone.

Also known as Surya Devalaya, the temple is a classic example of the Kalinga style of architecture. The Konark Sun Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a major pilgrimage centre for Hindus who gather here for the Chandrabhaga Mela in February.

7. Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh

Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh is a town that speaks of a rich past, heritage and culture. Mainly known for hand-woven Chanderi sarees, this 11th-century town is also quite famous for its fort, temples and the surrounding hills. The Chanderi Fort dates back to the famous Battle of Chanderi in 1528, whereby the Mughal emperor Babur defeated the then ruler Medini Rai and took over the city.

Chanderi is also famous for its ancient Jain temples like the Shri Choubeesee Bara Mandir, built in the 11th century. The temple has 24 idols for the 24 Tirthankaras, the Parasnath Digamber Jain temple built in the 7th century and many others.

We hope that this list of undiscovered and lesser-known places has left you excited enough to visit them soon. Do include some of these places in your itinerary the next time you plan for a trip. We assure you; you will be amazed at what you discover!

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3492/Unexplored-destinations-of-Central-India-to-fuel-your-wanderlust

Air India officially handed over to Tatas as disinvestment process completes, new board takes charge

 Amidst anticipation of likely handover by weekend, the government has announced that national carrier Air India has been officially handed over to the TATA Group of Companies with the strategic disinvestment process concluding on Thursday afternoon it received INR 2,700 crore Talace Pvt Ltd. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) under the Ministry of Finance announcing the development said that 100 per cent shares of Air India are now transferred to Talace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TATA Sons.

With this, Talace also gets full management control as the new board of Air India, led by the strategic partner takes charge of the airline. The ailing, debtridden carrier has received INR 1.10 lakh crore by way of cash support and loan guarantees by the government to keep it afloat.

TATAs on October 8, 2021 had won the bid to acquire the national carrier with the winning bid of INR 18,000 crore - out of which INR 15,300 crore are for Air India's existing debt and INR 2,700 crore to be paid as cash to the government. On October 11, 2021, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to the Tata Group confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100 per cent stake in the airline. On October 25, the Centre signed the share purchase agreement for the deal.

With the acquisition process now complete, the Tata Group has got access to a fleet of 117 wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, and 24 narrow-body aircraft of Air India Express. Besides, it will get control of 4,400 domestic and 1,800 international landing, and parking slots at domestic airports. While this is Centre's first privatisation since 2003-04, Air India has now got three airlines in its kitty, with majority share in Air India India and a joint venture with Singapore Airlines for another full-service carrier Vistara.

Out of the total debt of Air India, a majority portion has been transferred to a special purpose vehicle, AIAHL, which will also manage all the land and buildings belonging to the airline, which are not part of the deal with TATAs. The airline started suffering heavy losses every year, close to INR 20 crore a day, post its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007-08.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3491/Air-India-officially-handed-over-to-Tatas-as-disinvestment-process-completes-new-board-takes-charge

Thailand plans to impose tourist fee from April

 Bangkok: Thailand is planning to collect a 300 baht ($9) fee from foreign tourist from April to develop attractions and cover accident insurance for foreigners unable to pay costs themselves, senior officials said on Wednesday.

Thailand, one of Asia's most popular travel destinations, has been badly hit by a pandemic-induced tourism slump, with about 200,000 arrivals last year, compared to nearly 40 million in 2019.

Recent efforts to revive the sector have been complicated by the rapid global spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

"Part of the fee will be used to take care of tourists," Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters.

"We've encountered times when insurance didn't have coverage for tourists ... which became our burden to take care of them," he said, adding that funds would also be used to upgrade tourism infrastructure.

The fee adds to a list of requirements for foreign tourists seeking entry to Thailand, which include pre-payment for COVID-19 tests, hotel accommodation or quarantine, and having insurance with COVID-19 treatment coverage of at least $50,000.

Thailand waived its strict quarantine measures in November in place of a "Test & Go" scheme for vaccinated visitors, but suspended that late last month over concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.

The new fee will be priced in with airline tickets and is part of the government's sustainable tourism plans, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said.

Thailand expects between 5 and 15 million foreign arrivals this year, depending on policies in place in its main tourism markets, Thanakorn said.

Foreign tourists are expected to generate 800 billion Thai baht ($23.97 billion) this year, he said.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3494/Thailand-plans-to-impose-tourist-fee-from-April

Museum in memory of Netaji opens in Madhya Pradesh

 Visitors to Madhya Pradesh will now get a chance to visit Central Jail Jabalpur where Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had once been imprisoned. On the occasion of Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, his barracks at Jabalpur jail were opened for public viewing.

About the museum in Jabalpur, MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said that two days a week – on Saturdays and Sundays - from 10 am to 2.30 pm, the general public would be able to visit the chamber of Subhash Chandra Bose, where he was imprisoned.

Visitors would be allowed to enter the museum and the prison cell of Netaji free of charge. Just as the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar has been developed as a Veer Savarkar Memorial, similarly the museum of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Jail of Jabalpur would be developed as a Prerak Sthal. Among these, items such as Netaji’s clothes, shackles worn by him, his handwritten letters and inscriptions related to his jail visit have been given the form of a museum.

A passage has been constructed to reach the barracks of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The facility to access this room has been developed by making a new route other than the main gate in the prison. In this passage, colorful flowers have been planted on both sides. In this regard, with the initiative of the Madhya Pradesh government, this will be the first Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose museum in the state and the second in the country.

A museum has been established in New Delhi in the memory of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose since 2019. There will also be a reception room for visitors in the Subhash Ward. The jail administration has prepared a documentary film, which focuses on Netaji’s sacrifice and life’s struggle. In collaboration with the Public Works Department, the artists and laborers in the prison have done the renovation work of Subhash Ward and the decoration of the premises.

At present, in view of Covid infection, the visitors have been instructed to bring their IDs along with following the necessary protocol. Along with this, they have been requested to follow the necessary safety rules.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3481/Museum-in-memory-of-Netaji-opens-in-Madhya-Pradesh

Wagah-Attari like beating retreat ceremony to start at 3 border posts in Rajasthan: BSF

 Tourists visiting the Indo-Pak border districts Jaisalmer and Bikaner in Rajasthan will soon be able to watch the Wagha-Attari border like a beating retreat without the participation of Pakistani soldiers. The initiative will commence in the form of Beating the Retreat ceremony at BSF's IB post at Babliyan from next month and would then be extended to Bikaner's Sanchu and Khajuwala border posts, BSF IG (Rajasthan Frontier) Pankaj Goomar said on Tuesday.

He said every citizen of the country wishes to visit the international border and keeping this in mind, the BSF has been working on a model to develop tourism at the border posts.

"For this, a stadium with a seating capacity of 2,000 visitors has already been built at Babliyan post. In the beginning, we would start holding a Beating the Retreat event like Atari border here from next month," he said.

Pakistan, however, will not have any participation in the event like the WagahAttari border for now as the Pakistani post is two km away from the border in Jaisalmer. The BSF has taken this initiative in association with the state government. While fulfilling the wishes of the citizens to have a glimpse like the Wagah-Attari Indo-Pak border, this initiative is also aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism in the visitors

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3482/Wagah-Attari-like-beating-retreat-ceremony-to-start-at-3-border-posts-in-Rajasthan-BSF

Choice Hotels Opens Comfort Inn Kaikaluru

 Choice Hotels India has announced the opening of the Comfort Inn Kaikaluru in Andhra Pradesh. This is the first internationally branded hotel in the city of Kaikaluru. The city is famed for aquaculture and offers a range of tourist attractions including a bird sanctuary, Kolleru Lake, temples, and other places of religious significance.

Vilas Pawar, CEO, Choice Hotels India, said, “We are delighted to announce the opening of Comfort Inn Kailaluru – the first internationally branded hotel in the city. Our brand has the endeavor of offering an international experience with world-class facilities at the best value proposition. Ideal location and unmatched facilities make it a vital asset in our portfolio”.

Bala Murali Krishna Kamineni, Promoter of Comfort Inn Kaikaluru, a proprietor in aquaculture & aquafeed manufacturing under Deepak Nexgen Feeds Pvt. Ltd., and handling real estate projects in Vijaywada, said “We are proud to associate with Choice Hotels India. Being the first branded hotel in the city, we have got the opportunity to offer an international experience to the people of Kaikaluru. The hotel has received a warm response from the locals and is the preferred address for social gatherings and business meetings for people in and around the city”.

Comfort Inn Kaikaluru also features modern banqueting facilities to hold extensive meetings & conferences facilities and cater to intimate social gatherings.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3489/Choice-Hotels-Opens-Comfort-Inn-Kaikaluru

Jammu-Srinagar NH reopens for vehicles after remaining closed for 30 hours

 Jammu-Srinagar national highway reopened on Sunday after remaining closed for over 30 hours due to landslides and shooting stones triggered by heavy rains, officials said.

Even as the weather improved since Sunday evening, the highway restoration was delayed after a loaded truck was stuck in a heavy mudslide at Pantihal area of Ramban district. The thoroughfare remained shut on Sunday after wet weather triggered mudslides and shooting stones at several places.

The highway was closed early Saturday after a massive landslide blocked the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, near Cafetaria Morh besides shooting stones from the hillocks overlooking the arterial road between Maroog and Ramsu in Ramban district.

Dozens of stranded trucks were also allowed to move from Kashmir to Jammu," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Traffic, Shabir Ahmad Malik told PTI.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3464/Jammu-Srinagar-NH-reopens-for-vehicles-after-remaining-closed-for-30-hours

REDMI NOTE 11S LAUNCHES IN INDIA ON FEBRUARY 9

 The global markets and India are looking closely to Xiaomi to see the unveiling of the Redmi Note 11 series. The company will introduce devices that are slightly different to those released in China. We expect smartphones such as the Redmi Note 11 4G, Redmi Note 11 Pro 4G, Redmi Note 11 5G, and Note 11 Pro 5G. However, there is also a Redmi Note 11S. This variant passed through multiple certifications in recent times. Now, Redmi India has officially confirmed that the Note 11S is coming on February 9. This handset will pack a 108 MP primary camera and will carry a MediaTek Dimensity SoC.

REDMI NOTE 11S AND OTHER REDMI NOTE 11 SMARTPHONES DETAILS

According to the rumors, the Note 11S will bring an 8 MP ultrawide camera and a 2 MP macro unit. There will be at least three configurations. The basic one will sport 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of Internal Storage. The intermediary option will bring 6 GB with 128 GB of Internal Storage. The more advanced version will swap the RAM capacity to 8 GB. Of course, we can also expect some sort of virtual RAM extension. After all, this has been a trend among smartphone makers. The handset will also pack an AMOLED display with up to a 90 Hz refresh rate. As usual, this may be a punch-hole display. The selfie snapper should be anything between 13 MP and 16 MP.

Apparently, Xiaomi will be hosting an online event in the coming days to reveal some of its global Redmi Note 11 smartphones. According to early reports, there will be a smartphone with an Helio G96 SoC, AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. There will also be another variant with the Snapdragon 680 SoC. Finally, the rumors also suggest a particular variant with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695G SoC which brings 5G connectivity. These devices will have micro SD card slots and should come with at least 33 W fast charging and up to 67 W charging. The battery capacity will be at 5,000 mAh.

All the smartphones will run Android 11-based MIUI 13 straight of the box. Therefore, the Note 11S may not be an exception in this regard.

REDMI NOTE 12 SERIES COMING WITH SNAPDRAGON 7 GEN 1

In related news, a couple of Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones had details leaked by the popular tipster Digital Chat Station. According to him, Xiaomi will unveil the Redmi Note 12 series later this year, and at least of the smartphones will bring the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. This unreleased Qualcomm chipset will be the first Gen-tier replacement for the SD7xx series and should give the Redmi Note 12 series unprecedented power.

Air India likely to be handed over to Tata group by weekend

 Air India is likely to be handed over to the Tata group by the end of this week, senior government officials said on Monday. After a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8 last year sold Air India to Talace Private Limited - a subsidiary of the Tata group's holding company - for INR 18,000 crore.

Following that, on October 11, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to the Tata group confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100 percent stake in the airline. On October 25, the Centre signed the share purchase agreement (SPA) for this deal.

Officials said on Monday that the remaining formalities regarding this deal are expected to be completed in the next few days and the airline will be handed over to the Tata group by the end of this week.

As a part of the deal, the Tata group will also be handed over Air India Express and a 50 per cent stake in ground handling arm Air India SATS. Tatas had on October 8 beat the INR 15,100-crore offer by a consortium led by SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh and the reserve price of INR 12,906 crore set by the government for the sale of its 100 per cent stake in the loss-making carrier.

While this will be the first privatisation since 2003-04, Air India will be the third airline brand in the Tatas' stable - it holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines Ltd.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3467/Air-India-likely-to-be-handed-over-to-Tata-group-by-weekend

World's safest low-cost airlines 2022 revealed

 AirlineRatings.com has revealed its top 20 safest airlines for 2022.

While Air New Zealand nabbed the top spot, Etihad Airways came in at second place. Emirates also ranked in the top 20.

AirlineRatings was launched in June 2013 and judges the safety credentials of 385 airlines, taking into consideration elements such as crashes over five years; serious incidents over two years; audits from the aviation industry's governing bodies and lead associations; fleet age; and Covid-19 protocols.

Also appearing in the top 20 are Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, SAS, Qantas, Alaska Airlines, EVA Air, Virgin Australia/Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines, American Airlines, Lufthansa/Swiss Group, Finnair, Air France-KLM Group, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways.

“Our top 20 safest airlines 2022 are always at the forefront of safety innovation, operational excellence and the launching of new more advanced aircraft like the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787,” says Geoffrey Thomas, editor in chief of AirlineRatings.com.

“However all airlines have incidents every day, and many are aircraft or engine manufacture issues, not airline operational problems. It is the way the flight crew handles these incidents that determines a good airline from an unsafe one.”

Thomas cites Air New Zealand’s constantly high safety standards and the care it has shown for its flight crews as reasons for its ranking at the top of the 2022 safety list.

“Air New Zealand has won countless awards and has a firm focus on safety and its customers. Over the past 18 months, Covid-19 has brought yet another new dimension to the challenges. Air New Zealand has excelled across the broad safety spectrum, never losing sight of the smallest detail while caring for its flight crews who have worked under significant stress.”

AirlineRatings.com's top 20 safest airlines for 2022:
Air New Zealand
Etihad Airways
Qatar Airways
Singapore Airlines
TAP Air Portugal
SAS
Qantas
Alaska Airlines
EVA Air
Virgin Australia/Atlantic
Cathay Pacific
Hawaiian Airlines
American Airlines
Lufthansa/Swiss Group
Finnair
Air France-KLM Group
British Airways
Delta Air Lines
United Airlines
Emirates
In a separate ranking by the Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre, Emirates was named the world’s safest airline in the world. The carrier ranked first among 25 global airlines, with a risk index of 95.05 per cent in a JACDEC survey carried out for aviation magazine Aero International.

JACDEC ranks the safety credentials of the 100 biggest airlines in the world, based on revenue passenger kilometres.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3405/World-s-safest-low-cost-airlines-2022-revealed

UK’s newest airline Hans Airways to launch scheduled flights to India this year

Hans Airways, UK’s newest hybrid, long-haul airline venture, is preparing to launch scheduled international flights to India later this year after it secured its first aircraft after signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) for an Airbus A330-200 (MSN 950) in the first week of January 2022.

The aircraft has been operating with a leading European airline since 2008, configured in a two-cabin layout, which Hans Airways will operate with 275 economy and 24 premium economy seats.

Hans Airways’ senior management has identified a high demand for regular secondary city air links between the UK and India, drawing on its CEO’s considerable experience instigating a series of charter flights for Monarch Airlines and FlyJet.

UK base in Birmingham Hans Airways has applied to the UK Civil Aviation Authority for its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in March 2020 and is hopeful of obtaining the status in time to start revenue service this summer. The airline will operate in secondary cities in India from Birmingham Airport.

Its application for an Operating Licence and Route Licence has already been published by the UK CAA. Financial support for the airline has come, inter alia, from the Indian community in the UK.

Commenting on the development, Satnam Saini, CEO, Hans Airways, said, “We are delighted to have achieved this very important milestone in our twoyear journey. Our scheduled operations centre on the Airbus A330, a popular and spacious long-haul widebody, excellent for cargo too, and we are grateful to everyone who has helped us to ratify this agreement at the start of the new year.”

Pilot and cabin crew training commences

The first set of flight crew (four pilots and cabin crew) commenced their first day of training from January 3 in Crawley, UK with Hans Airways’ flight training partner IAGO Flight Training and L3 Harris Commercial Aviation for the simulator. The recruits were welcomed by Saini, investor Kirpal Singh Jass, and Nathan Burkitt, the airline’s Director of Flight Operations and Crew Training. The A330 will be re-registered as G-KJAS, adopting the surname of one of Hans Airways’ principal early investors, who have believed in its community airline model since the project was conceived in 2019.

Loyalty programme

The airline said it is also working on a loyalty programme which will be known as HAPEEI (Hans Airways Passengers Environment Education Initiative) and it will reward passengers with all the regular benefits of a frequent flyer programme and with a strong emphasis on corporate social responsibility, create opportunities to donate to children’s educational charities in India or conservation and water preservation projects. The airline also intends to have a close working relationship with travel agencies and travel management companies.

rehanshienterprises.com/news/3407