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indigo
IndiGo To Operate Direct Flight Between Manchester And Navi Mumbai From July?
Residents of Manchester or the Indian diaspora in the UK are euphoric for two reasons. The first is the inauguration of a special Indian consulate in Manchester on March 8 by external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar. Second, is the announcement by IndiGo airlines of a direct flight to India from Manchester. Dr Jaishankar gave away the secret that both these decisions were an “ask by Angela Rayner” Deputy Prime Minister of the UK – a staunch labour leader from Manchester. Direct flight was a long-standing demand of Indian Mancunians (residents of Manchester). In return, Jaishankar has asked Rayner to open UK universities, tie-up with Indian educational institutions. Indigo’s decision to operate Manchester-India direct flight came as a shock and surprise to the aviation industry. Though the destination in India has not been announced, sources say that IndiGo could fly to the new airport in Navi Mumbai. This is because IndiGo is building a huge hub at the Navi Mumbai airport and it makes sense to fly their newly acquired wide-bodied aircraft from Norso to Navi Mumbai.  It may be recalled that last year the Tata-controlled Air India too had announced direct flight between Manchester and India but decided to put it in cold storage and focus on the U.S. sector. It is learnt that on this North America sector — San Francisco and New York – Air India is providing Premium economy seats and there is a good response. Industry experts are asking why British Airways did not think of the Manchester-India flight. IndiGo drew up special plans to operate from Navi Mumbai as Emirates does in Dubai. IndiGo may start the operations from July 2025 to coincide with the Navi Mumbai airport becoming operational. Rahul Laud, Manchester
air kerala
Air Kerala: A Dream Come True For Malayalees
Air Kerala, the long standing demand of Malayalees, is finally taking shape. The brainchild of two UAE entrepreneurs, Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada, Air Kerala will be the first regional airline originating from Cochin. The airline which is registered under the name, Zettfly Aviation, has received the NOC from India’s Civil Aviation Ministry to operate scheduled commuter air transport services for three years. With NOC in hand, the promoters will now have to obtain an Air Operator’s Certificate. The next step also involves zeroing on the right type of aircraft. Initially, Air Kerala plans to buy/lease ATR 72-600 model aircraft to connect tier-II and tier-III cities. The intention is finally to graduate to tier-I cities and expand to international routes. For this, the airline will have to expand operations over a period of three years with an expanded fleet including wide-bodied Jets. Air Kerala has been the dream-child of the Kerala Government since 2005, to operate a low cost air service offering economical fares to expats. Last year,  Afi Ahmed, one of the promoters who owns Smart Travels, bought the domain name airkerala.com for a whopping Dh 1 million. The promoters plan an initial investment of DH 1.1 billion. Zettfly Aviation’s board comprises Afi Ahmed, Ayub Kallada and Kanika Goyal all having expertise in the aviation field.
firoz manoj
FLY91: Connecting The Dots On The Country’s Small-Town Aviation Map
Start-up regional carrier FLY91 has just signed its first agreement with an international operator, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, to induct its first two ATR 72-600 aircraft. The Dubai-headquartered company is a global aviation services provider with over 35 years of experience, whose leasing and engineering divisions serve over 170 customers around the world. With this deal, signed between FLY91 founder Manoj Chacko — former vice-president of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines – and Dubai Aerospace chief executive officer Firoz Tarapore, takes the Indian company a step farther in its aspiration to make air travel accessible to every Indian. The professionally-funded airline’s vision is to enable the next 100 million Indians to take flight, with its focus on regional towns reflected in the selection of the ATR 72-600. These aeroplanes have been specifically chosen to enable efficient and sustainable operations from most regional airports in the country, serving tier-2 and tier-3 towns all over India. This also follows the flight path of the Indian government’s UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik) regional connectivity scheme, which aims to develop smaller regional airports to allow common citizens easier access to aviation services. The commercial operations are expected to begin in February. The airline, headquartered in Goa, was originally scheduled to take off in October 2023, with a plan to go national gradually in only about five years. It has obviously redrawn this plan. Fasten your seat belts!
malvika m
South’s Popular Star Malavika Mohanan Slams IndiGo Service
Making her Tamil film debut in Petta, this classic Malayalee beauty, Malavika Mohanan has mesmerised her fans in every film since Master (with Vijay), Maran (with Dhanush). Her classic good looks and proven talent gave her the boost to be cast with Chiyan Vikram in the soon to hit screens, Thangalan, yet another KGF story about the Kolar Gold fields . This story is about a tribal leader Thangalan and his valiant fight with the British rulers to save his gold mine from being overrun. Malavika had to train intensely for her role, especially for the Silambam martial art. The movie slated for release on January 26 has now been postponed. Malavika in the meanwhile has signed up for a Telugu starrer as the heroine of star hulk Prabhas. With such exciting professional activities, she still finds time to express her views on social media. When a looker and actor write, the audience are drawn to such posts. Imagine the effect her post on the poor service of IndiGo Air had on her 1.2 mn followers. She took to X to convey her unhappiness with the bad service and rude staff on her flight from Jaipur. “My career is going places, but Indigo service is not what one expects. “IndiGo of course responded with the usual come back…we shall definitely look into this matter and get back to you.”
Fly91
A New Airline Fly91 Gets Ready To Take Off
The travel boom set off by the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is seeing action in every mode of transport, from roads to rail and, of course, flights. But while the Indian Railways are using the opportunity to push the new Vande Bharat Expresses with premium facilities and premium prices, a number of small airlines are still trying to find their bearings after the sector nosedived during the pandemic. One entrepreneur who is waiting to take off is Manoj Chacko, former vice-president of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. Chacko, CEO of the recently registered Fly91, from India’s telephone dialling code, has seen it all. Air Deccan, the forerunner in the field that made flying affordable to all, took off well but made the mistake of going in for Airbus aircraft too early. “They should have stuck to the ATR with which they began,” he says. “Introducing a mixed fleet compelled them to compete in a different space.” Kingfisher’s acquisition of Deccan was a “big mistake”, says Chacko, who quit soon after. “Vijay Mallya called me back after three years, but too much water had already flowed under the bridge by then.” Flying to Hubli, Kolhapur and smaller places was not an issue, but the attempt to go international was the killer, he says. His new airline, headquartered in Goa, will operate small 76-seater aircraft from October 2023, with a plan to go national gradually in about five years. “We’ll be playing a test match, and aim to replace short rail journeys of 10 to 12 hours,” he explains, adding: “We won’t get into the ‘cheapest fare’ race: our fares will compare with those for the railways’ 2nd-class AC. We will pay salaries comparable to, say Indigo but keep a low-cost structure with neutral distribution channels and a consumer-friendly booking app.” Happy flying!

TRENDS & VIEWS

Editor’s Note: Short Post Noticed By People Who Matter

Four years have zipped by and we are crossing another milestone on 31st January 2025 – it’s our 4th Anniversary. It feels good.
Looking back at the 1460 days, I must say Short Post has made its mark with people who matter via 4000 stories published in the areas of politics, business, entertainment and sports. All made possible by the unflinching commitment and dedication of our senior editors, most of whom have been part of this journey from Day One.
Small pack, big impact is in essence the story of Short Post which was launched at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. It shows our conviction. In all humility, I can say, we have created a new niche in the news segment space like Hindustan Unilever which created a new segment, when it launched CloseUp Gel.
Yes, we have created a brand (in a limited sense), created demand (readers) and created supply (senior journalists). But we are facing teething problems like all start-ups. What makes us happy and confident is the recognition of our efforts. For instance, we have an arrangement with the OPEN Magazine, part of the $4.5 billion Kolkata-based Sanjiv Goenka-RPG Group. This arrangement sees around 10 Short Post stories posted on OPEN Magazine website every week. This arrangement is testimony that our content has been well received! Also, I may add that the Maharashtra government has recognised Short Post and has allowed our senior editor to cover the Assembly sessions. Ditto: Odisha.
Our goal is to ensure that Short Post becomes a habit. I would like people to keep checking their smartphones to know the latest Authentic Gossip. As regards AI and the fear of it disrupting all businesses including media. On that, personally, I have no such fear as I am confident AI cannot smell news particularly Authentic Gossip. That’s the place we are well entrenched.