Tag: International Flights

News wrap Feb 24: Russia conducts ‘military operation’ in Ukraine; Oil breaches $100 for first time since 2014; Bitcoin plunges below $35,000

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Russia President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a ‘military operation’ in the Donbass region of Ukraine and also warned that any foreign attempt to interfere with Russian action would lead to ‘consequences they have never seen.’ Oil prices breached $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 as Russian troops moving into Ukraine sparked concerns that a war in Europe could disrupt global energy supplies. Bitcoin prices too plunged nearly 9 percent to around one-month lows at under $35,000.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Oil prices breach $100 mark for first time since 2014

Oil breached $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 on Thursday as Russia moved troops into Ukraine, sparking concerns that a war in Europe could disrupt global energy supplies. Experts say the prices are likely to remain volatile and elevated due to the growing uncertainty. Read more

US Fed will have to balance out overtightening risk: Raghuram Rajan

Former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan spoke to CNBC on global economic recovery amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine crisis. He also shared his views on the Fed’s policy stance, emphasizing the need to balance out the risk of overtightening rates. Find out more

India settles retrospective tax dispute with Cairn; pays Rs 7,900 crore refund

The Indian government has paid Cairn Energy Plc Rs 7,900 crore to refund taxes it had collected to enforce a retrospective tax demand, ending a seven-year-old dispute that had tarred the country’s image as an investment destination. Check details

MARKET

Sensex crash: Keep cash in hand should market correct 5-10%, says Envision Capital’s Nilesh Shah

Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Nilesh Shah of Envision Capital, said that it would be good to keep some cash in hand in case the market corrects further due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Read more

Bitcoin plunges below $35,000 amid rising geopolitical tension

The world biggest cryptocurrency plunged nearly 9 percent as explosions were heard in Ukraine’s Capital city of Kyiv. The price of bitcoin has slipped to around its one-month lows at under $35,000. Read more

No change in LIC IPO plan, don’t see Russia-Ukraine crisis impact yet: Sources

Government sources tell CNBC-TV18 there is no change in plans for LIC for now because of geopolitical tensions. They said they don’t see an impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the LIC IPO plan for now but are closely monitoring geopolitical developments as well as the market situation. Check details

INDIA

Opposition slams govt for failure in evacuating Indians stranded in Ukraine

As Russia launched an offensive against Ukraine, Opposition leaders, mostly from the Congress, on Thursday attacked the government for not making arrangements in time to bring 20,000 Indians in Ukraine back and accused it of “turning away its face” on its nationals in this difficult time. Read more

Indian embassy in Ukraine issues fresh advisory; advises students, citizens to stay safe and calm

The Indian Embassy in Ukraine issued three advisories as Russian troops marched into Ukraine and movement of people is now difficult in Ukraine as it is under martial law. Check details

Government likely to give nod to restart regular international flights from March 15

After remaining suspended for almost two years, India may resume regular international flights around March 15-20, which were shut after the pandemic broke out, sources privy to the developments told CNBC-TV18. Find out more

WORLD

Russia conducts ‘military operation’ in Ukraine, explosions heard in Kyiv, Mariupol, other cities

Russia President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a ‘military operation’ in the Donbass region of Ukraine, a media report said. Putin has also warned that any foreign attempt to interfere with Russian action would lead to ‘consequences they have never seen.’ Read more

NATO puts warplanes on alert, to increase troop presence on eastern flank as Russia invades Ukraine

The North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) said on Thursday it would take new deterrence and defence steps after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, which would include putting over 100 warplanes on high alert and further increase the presence of troops on its eastern flank. Check details

UEFA emergency meeting tomorrow on moving Champions League final out of Russia

European football regulator UEFA has called an emergency meeting of its top decision-making body to discuss moving the Champion League final out of Russia after Moscow attacked Ukraine on Thursday. Read more

YOU & I 

Market crash: Dos and don’ts for first-time investors sitting on losses

While Sensex and Nifty are down less than 15 percent from their peaks, the majority of the stocks have fallen much more. If you are a recent entrant in the stock market, and wondering what to do next, here are a few things to keep in mind. Check details

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Government may give go ahead to restart regular international flights from March 15

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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After remaining suspended for almost two years, India may resume regular international flights around March 15-20, which were shut after the pandemic broke out, sources privy to the developments told CNBC-TV18.

The union aviation ministry is likely to issue an order on the resumption of commercial international passenger flights, which remained suspended from March 2020.

The inter-ministerial nod is required for the resumption of regular international passenger flights and airlines are likely to be given around two weeks’ time to prepare for the flights.

Also Read: Government may propose ‘new formula’ to bring Aviation Turbine Fuel under GST ambit

The ban on scheduled international passenger flights in India is in effect till February 28. Such flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Special passenger flights have been functioning between India and around 40 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements.

The union health ministry has issued revised guidelines for international arrivals, with effect from February 14, doing away with the mandatory seven-day home quarantine and the need for them to undertake an RT-PCR test on the eighth day.

Apart from uploading a negative RT-PCR report, taken 72 hours before the journey, there is an option to upload certificates of the completion of the full primary Covid vaccination schedule provided from countries on a reciprocal basis. Also, the demarcation of countries ‘at-risk’ and other countries has been removed.

Also Read: Ukraine closes airspace to civilian flights citing ‘high risk’ to safety; Air India flight returns to Delhi

Accordingly, the need for giving samples on the port of arrival and waiting till the result is obtained from countries ‘at-risk’ has been dispensed with.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Govt considering resuming regular international flights by March-April

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation is in talks with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for resuming regular international flights, government officials told CNBC-TV18 on Wednesday.

The government is considering resuming these flights by March-April, said the officials.

The current ban on scheduled international commercial flights, which came into effect in March 2020, is valid till February 28, 2022. Last month, the country had extended ban on international commercial flights till February 28 amid the increase in cases of COVID-19 during the third wave driven by the Omicron variant.

India had banned regular operation of international flights on March 23, 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19.

According to the government officials mentioned above, the Centre is considering resuming regular international flights in the light of relaxations in rules for international passengers.

However, a final decision is yet to be taken.

>>Also Read: Vistara to restore pre-COVID level customer experience for flyers; Starbucks on the menu

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India eases rules for international passengers, industry heaves sigh of relief

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India has announced that it will relax norms for international passengers with effect from February 14. The tourism and hospitality industries have heaved a sigh of relief as the proposed changes are expected to boost passenger sentiment.

“Caseloads both in India as well as globally are plummeting. The announcement for doing away with mandatory quarantine rules couldn’t be better-timed. Mandatory quarantine was resulting in many international travellers giving India a miss. We hope that the government resumes scheduled international flights as soon as possible to make most of the relaxation of earlier curbs,” Gaurav Bhatia, Executive Director of Bird Group, said.

The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) has also welcomed the government’s decision to lift the restriction of seven-day quarantine for all arrivals.

“We would further urge for early resumption of the the normal schedule of International Flight Operations as per bilateral agreements which were in force before March 2020. Presently there are only limited air bubble flights that are operating to some selected countries and the airfares are exorbitant. Once normal international flight operations resume, airfares will come down drastically, and this will boost the arrival of foreign tourists to India,” Rajiv Mehra, President, IATO, said.

Also read: Omicron impact: Govt officials say domestic air traffic has softened but broadly stable

In a significant change, India has now said that incoming international passengers will now have an option of either uploading negative RT-PCR report, taken 72 hrs prior to the journey, or a certificate of completing full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19. However, it is important to note that this option will only be open if the vaccination certificates are recognised by both countries in question on a mutual basis.

“Besides uploading negative RT-PCR report (taken 72 hours prior to the journey), the option to upload certificate of completing full primary vaccination schedule of COVID-19 vaccination provided from countries on a reciprocal basis,” the government said.

In another major relaxation, India has done away with the need for RT-PCR test on the eighth day of arrival and has clarified that a mandatory seven-day home quarantine period is no longer required. Passengers have now been asked to self-monitor their health for 14 days.

The random sampling of 2 percent of all international arriving passengers will continue but the travellers can give their sample and will be allowed to leave the airport.

The demarcation of countries as ‘at-risk’ and other countries has also been removed and as a result, there are no separate rules for ‘at-risk’ countries anymore.

Also read: Storyboard18 | From workations to strictly work-free vacations, trends that will shape travel in 2022

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

DGCA extends suspension of scheduled international passenger flights till February 28

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The suspension of scheduled international passenger flights in the country has been extended till February 28, aviation regulator DGCA said on Wednesday. Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020.

However, special passenger flights have been operating between India and approximately 40 countries since July 2020 under air bubble arrangements formed with them.

In a circular on Wednesday, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated, “The competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of February 28, 2022.” This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flight specifically approved by the DGCA, it mentioned.

Also Read | Jet fuel price increased by 4.3%, to cost Rs 79,295 per kilolitre in New Delhi

Fights under air bubble arrangement will not be affected, it noted. The DGCA had on November 26, 2021 announced that India will resume scheduled international passenger flights from December 15, 2021. Just a day later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Civil Aviation Ministry and the DGCA to review its decision in wake of the rising concerns of the COVID-19 variant Omicron.

On December 1, 2021, the DGCA revoked its November 26 decision without saying how long the suspension of scheduled international flights continue.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Normalisation of international flights will depend on Omicron situation: Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Normalisation of international flight services will depend on the Omicron scenario and authorities concerned will watch the situation as it unfolds, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. On November 26, aviation regulator DGCA decided to restart scheduled commercial international flights to and from India from December 15.

However, the decision was put on hold in less than a week in the wake of the emergence of Omicron, the new COVID variant. Last week, the watchdog said the flights will remain suspended till January 31.

Scheduled commercial international passenger flights remain suspended since March 23, 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Currently, the flights are being operated under bilateral air bubble arrangements with various countries in a restricted manner. Speaking at a summit organised by industry body CII on Tuesday, Scindia said normalisation of international flights would depend on the Omicron situation.

“Keeping in mind the health, we cannot dissociate ourselves from COVID. We are working closely with the health ministry. When we tide over Omicron, we can look at going back to normalcy even vis-a-vis international travel but I cannot give you the date today. It is not incumbent on me, there are host of other factors, other ministries that I have to coordinate with and watch the situation as it unfolds over the next couple of weeks,” he said. Talking about the domestic air traffic, Scindia said today it is ranging between 3.7 to 3.9 lakh passengers per day. Pre-COVID, the highest was close to 4.2 lakh passengers per day.

The domestic capacity was increased in a “very gradual and monitored process” and on October 18, the government allowed 100 percent capacity for domestic airlines. “Today, we are running 3.7 to 3.9 lakh passengers per day and on a seat load factor basis of 75-81 percent, which is a very healthy seat load factor. Keeping that in mind, I was looking at opening up international travel but as you all are aware, just on the anvil of that the world got hit by Omicron,” Scindia said.

Replying to a query, the minister said every country has different rules with regard to international travel right now and understandably so. “It depends on various countries’ risk appetite and you cannot disagree with what each individual country determines its risk appetite is… that decision is best left to individual countries rather than for us to impose a worldwide sort of rules…,” he noted.

For all the latest updates on Coronavirus, click here.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Omicron threat: Scheduled international flights will not resume from December 15, says DGCA

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Aviation regulator DGCA on Wednesday decided to postpone the resumption of scheduled international flights from December 15 citing “evolving global scenario” in the wake of the emergence of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. Last month, the government decided to normalise international flight operations. Scheduled international flights to and from India remain suspended since March 2020 following the coronavirus pandemic.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had earlier announced that scheduled international flights would resume operations from December 15. However, that aviation regulator has now postponed the move and said that it would announce a date later.

Multiple restrictions have been announced by states on travellers arriving from within India or abroad. Maharashtra has made it mandatory for intra-state travellers to either be fully vaccinated or hold valid RT-PCR tests and for inter-state travellers to produce RT-PCR tests (48 hours), without exception. The state has implemented the move under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 ‘with immediate effect’.

Also read: Omicron: 7-day quarantine must for travellers to Maharashtra from ‘at-risk’ countries

Numerous airports across the country have similar restrictions in place on incoming passengers, especially from those arriving from “at risk” nations. Travellers will now have to undergo various tests and quarantine.

NDTV quoted the Directorate General of Civil Aviation as saying: “In view of the merging global scenario… the situation is being watched closely in consultation with all stakeholders and an appropriate decision indicating the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services shall be notified in due course”.

Also read: Omicron: South Africa establishes war room to address effects of travel ban on tourism

Omicron surfaces as the devastating effects of the second wave, powered by the Delta variant of the virus, were subsiding. Normal work had resumed in offices, schools were slowly resuming and even normal international flight situation was about to resume.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Top News Podcast: New COVID variant in South Africa; Black Friday for market; international flights to resume from Dec 15 and more

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A new COVID-19 variant – B.1.1.529 has been detected in South Africa. The World Health Organization has said the early analysis shows this variant has a large number of mutations that require and will undergo further study.

In this edition of Top News Podcast, CNBCTV18.com’s Kanishka Sarkar shares more about the new variant, its transmissibility, why experts have called it a cause of concern and what steps are being taken by nations around the world, including India, to prevent its spread.

She also talks about how the stock market reacted to the news of the coronavirus variant. The Indian share market suffered the biggest single-day losses since early April, as benchmarks fell nearly 3 percent, tracking a wider sell-off in global markets.

Tune in to Top News Podcast for more

In case you have any queries or suggestions, please write to us on cnbctv18podcast@nw18.com

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

India to resume scheduled international flights from Dec 15 amid growing concerns over B.1.1.529 COVID-19 variant

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Ahead of the holiday season, the Civil Aviation Ministry has decided to allow scheduled international flights to resume operations from December 15. Scheduled international flights were suspended in India on March 23, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, special international passenger flights have been operating since July last year under air bubble arrangements formed with approximately 28 countries.

The Civil Aviation Ministry stated: “The matter of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India has been examined in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and it has been decided that scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India may be resumed from December 15, 2021.”

India to resume scheduled international flights from December 15 after coronavirus-induced suspension: Aviation Ministry

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 26, 2021

The decision to resume international flights has been taken in consultation with the health ministry.

pic.twitter.com/tqMKQGVFbM

— DGCA (@DGCAIndia) November 26, 2021

However, there are growing concerns being raised over a new variant of the coronavirus B.1.1.529 strain, which was first detected in Africa — South Africa and Botswana — and has now spread to Israel and Hong Kong.

The heavily mutated COVID-19 variant that is raising concerns aross the world. Called B.1.1.529, the coronavirus variant seems to be spreading fast. So far, 77 fully confirmed cases has been detected in Gauteng province of South Africa, four in Botswana and one in Hong Kong. All cases have been directly linked to travel from South Africa.

The COVID variant B.1.1.529 was first spotted in genome-sequencing data from Botswana. It caught the attention of scientists as the variant has over than 30 mutations on the spike protein, which lets the virus unlock the doorway into our body’s cells.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

International flight operations expected to return to normal soon, says Civil Aviation Ministry

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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International flight operations are expected to return to normal soon, said Rajiv Bansal, Secretary at Ministry of Civil Aviation. Scheduled international air services to and from India remain suspended since late March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India has air bubble arrangements with more than 25 countries for operating overseas flights. Under an air bubble arrangement between two countries, international passenger flights can be operated by their respective carriers into each other’s territories subject to certain conditions.

For now, the suspension is till November 30 and there is no clarity on normalisation as discussions are going on against the backdrop of a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in some countries. Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the government was evaluating the process for normalising international operations and asserted that it wants to return to normalcy while keeping in mind the coronavirus pandemic situation in certain parts of the world. “I am all for regaining our space in the civil aviation arena in the world and making a hub in India and for more wide body aircraft. We will get there but bear with me and trust me, I am on your side. We will work together but in a safe environment,” he had said.

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow