India is planning to build 50 new airports in the next five years, aviation minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said to ANI on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2025. The government is also planning to establish Delhi as a global aviation hub within the next two years.
India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world and has achieved an annual growth rate of 10% over the past decade. The minister shared that as per the government’s five-year plan, the number of airports will increase and passenger services will also be improved.
Delhi as Aviation Hub: Naidu highlighted the strategic location of the Delhi airport as a gateway between the global East and West. He said that discussions are on with airlines and international partners to bolster connectivity to Delhi and position it as a pivotal player in global air travel.
Last year, IndiGo chairman V Sumantran also said that India was becoming a convenient hub for travel between Southeast Asia and the Middle East. He had cited examples of several airlines carrying passengers from places such as Bangkok to Jeddah or Dubai by connecting through Indian cities.
Future of Indian Aviation: Apart from this, the government is also looking at sustainability in aviation. India is looking to achieve 1% blending of sustainable aviation fuel in international flights by 2027, increasing this to 5% by 2030. It was also shared that plans to produce 5 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel are underway.
It was also highlighted that India is looking at the hub-and-spoke model to improve connections between domestic and international destinations. For this, the civil aviation ministry is working with other departments and stakeholders.
The country is also looking for international partners to introduce advanced aviation technologies as well as ways to improve efficiency in the sector.
Oyo-Owned Innov8 Raises $12 Million
Oyo-owned co-working space startup Innov8 has raised INR 1.1 billion ($12.7 million) in a primary funding round. The funding was held at a valuation of INR 10 billion ($115.5 million). For the issue, the company reduced its stake by 10%.
Investors subscribed the issue 2.7 times, the company said in a statement. Recently, Innov8 announced plans to double its coworking spaces in India to 100 this year.
The company said that the funding would support acquisitions, technology upgrades, partnerships, and expansion.
The funding round was led by Mankind Pharma, Gauri Khan, Rupa Group, and Jagruti Dalmia. Together they accounted for 55% of the raised funds.
Emirates Launches Airbus A350 Aircraft in India
United Arab Emirates’ flag carrier Emirates has debuted its new Airbus A350 aircraft in India. Starting Sunday, the airline is operating the aircraft on daily flights to Mumbai and Ahmedabad, it said in a statement.
With this, Mumbai and Ahmedabad are a part of the five destinations where Emirates has deployed its new aircraft, after Edinburgh, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Emirates also operates its large widebody aircraft Airbus A380 on the daily services to Mumbai and Bengaluru. The airline currently flies to nine destinations in India with a total of 167 flights per week.
IHCL Signs Taj-Branded Property in Ayodhya
Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has signed a Taj-branded hotel in Ayodhya in a move to capitalize on spiritual tourism.
“IHCL has a strong presence across significant spiritual destinations in India and this signing aligns with our strategy of developing spiritual circuits,” said CEO Puneet Chhatwal. “Ayodhya has witnessed a significant boost in spiritual tourism, as one of the most sought-after pilgrimage destinations in the country.”
This is the fifth hotel by IHCL in the revamped city. Before this, it has signed SeleQtions, Vivanta, Gateway, and Ginger brands in Ayodhya. The company is already betting big on religious tourism. Last year, Skift had reported that IHCL signed its fourth hotel in Varanasi, a city with deep cultural and religious significance.
Kerala’s Focus on Adventure Tourism
Kerala tourism is looking to promote the state as an adventure tourism destination. For this, it is planning to host a series of international adventure sports events.
In February and March this year, the state will host international surfing, paragliding, and mountain terrain biking events. Kerala tourism minister PA Mohamed Riyas said that these events will attract tourists and adventure sports enthusiasts to the state, giving a boost to its long-term tourism sector.
The events are being organized by Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS). The body is working with Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) to conduct training programs to increase workforce in the adventure tourism segment.
SpiceJet to Re-Induct First Grounded 737 Max Into Service
Budget carrier SpiceJet is set to re-induct its first grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft into operations starting Wednesday. The aircraft had been grounded for several months.
In a statement, the airline said that it is carrying out its fleet restoration plan. As part of it, SpiceJet is looking to bring 10 aircraft, including four Boeing 737 Max planes, into service by April 2025. Through this restoration, SpiceJet aims to operate to “high-demand markets” such as Jeddah and Riyadh.
Since last October, the airline has added 10 aircraft into its fleet, of which three are previously grounded planes and seven are newly leased aircraft. In the last three months, it has also expanded its network by adding 60 new flights, it said.
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