IndiGo Doubles Flights to Central Asia: Daily services to Tashkent, Almaty, Tbilisi begin August 2024
IndiGo has announced a significant expansion of its Central Asian routes, doubling flight frequency to Almaty, Tbilisi, and Tashkent from Delhi starting August 2024, moving from weekly schedules to daily operations. Expanded Flight Schedule Details
Starting August 16, 2024, IndiGo will operate daily flights from Delhi to Almaty and Tbilisi, while daily services to Tashkent begin August 17, 2024. This represents a major capacity increase from the previous schedule of four flights per week to Tashkent and three flights per week to Almaty and Tbilisi.
The enhanced schedule includes: Tashkent route : Daily flights (up from 4 weekly)
: Daily flights (up from 4 weekly) Almaty route : Daily flights (up from 3 weekly)
: Daily flights (up from 3 weekly) Tbilisi route: Daily flights (up from 3 weekly) Strategic Expansion in Central Asia
IndiGo first launched operations to Tashkent, Almaty, and Tbilisi in 2023. With this expansion, the airline now operates daily flights to all four Central Asian destinations in its network: Tashkent, Almaty, Tbilisi, and Baku.
The move reflects growing demand for international travel and IndiGo's strategy to strengthen trade, tourism, and mobility connections between India and Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. Executive Statement
Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, commented on the expansion: 'We are pleased to announce additional flights to Tashkent, Almaty, and Tbilisi from Delhi. These new flights have been announced to cater to the increasing demand for outbound and leisure travel to these destinations.'
He emphasized IndiGo's commitment to connecting people and places while maintaining their focus on affordable, punctual, and hassle-free travel experiences. Destination Highlights Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan's capital offers rich cultural attractions including the State Museum of History, Amir Timur Museum, and iconic Tashkent Tower. Key attractions include Chorsu Bazaar, Minor Mosque, Museum of Applied Arts, and Amir Temur Square. Almaty, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's largest city combines urban life with natural beauty, surrounded by Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains. Popular destinations include Medeu Ice-skating Rink and Shymbulak Ski Resort, along with numerous museums, theaters, and parks. Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgia's capital blends history and modernity with landmarks like Narikala Fortress, historic Old Town with sulfur baths, and Holy Trinity Cathedral. The city serves as a cultural and economic center in the region. Booking and Connectivity
Customers can book flights through IndiGo's official website www.goIndiGo.in or mobile app. The expanded services strengthen IndiGo's international connectivity and position in the Central Asian market.
The airline's proactive capacity expansion demonstrates confidence in the growing travel demand between India and Central Asian countries, supporting both business and leisure travel segments.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Skift
a day ago
- Skift
How Mumbai's New Airport Could Help Lift India's Aviation Profile
India's booming aviation sector is set to get a major lift from two secondary airports in Delhi and Mumbai. While the projects signal India's evolution into a global transit hub, smart pricing will be crucial to drive traffic. Gearing up for the launch of the new airport in Mumbai, operator Adani Airport Holdings has partnered with low-cost carrier Akasa Air to commence flight operations. Under the agreement, Akasa will operate over 100 weekly domestic departures to begin with from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The airline plans to scale this up to over 300 domestic and more than 50 international flights a week in the weekly schedule. In a statement, Akasa said that it will focus on international expansion into key Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian markets. Akasa Founder and CEO Vinay Dube said, 'No airline in India will have a larger percentage of its fleet and operations based out of NMIA than Akasa Air.' This partnership came a few days after budget airline IndiGo became the first airline to sign an agreement to operate flights from it. The airport is also key to IndiGo's international network as CEO Pieter Elbers said earlier this month that the Navi Mumbai airport will connect to 14 international destinations at launch. The Navi Mumbai Project: The Navi Mumbai International Airport project is being developed for $2 billion and is expected to ease congestion at the current Mumbai airport. The aim is to position Mumbai as a global transit hub. The airport's opening has now been pushed from May this year to August. Similar to Delhi, there are also plans to develop an aerocity around the Navi Mumbai airport to drive up non-aeronautic revenues. India is now the world's third-largest aviation market, a milestone that has been highlighted in a new report released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The aviation industry is counting on this airport in Mumbai, along with the upcoming Jewar airport in Delhi, to help cater to the growing demand for air travel in the country. In his address at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting earlier this month, Director General Willie Walsh said that infrastructure development is important for growth of aviation, adding that upcoming secondary airports in Delhi and Mumbai are a positive development. Bringing Traffic to Navi Mumbai: Adani has also requested the government to make passenger and airline tariffs at both Navi Mumbai and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport uniform. If approved, the move is expected to increase traffic flow at the new airport. Navi Mumbai airport was expected to have notably higher passenger fees, landing and parking charges, which could discourage airlines from shifting to the new airport. However, this unification could also drive up tariffs at the existing Mumbai airport due to averaging of fees. This would follow the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India move last month to increase the user development fee for domestic passengers from 120 per passenger to 175 at the operational Mumbai airport. Higher airport charges are an issue that IATA has been vocal about. Walsh said that airlines want airports to operate efficiently at a cost-effective price, and urged dialogue between airlines and airports. Katrina Kaif New Global Tourism Ambassador of Maldives Maldives has appointed Bollywood actor Katrnia Kaif as the global tourism ambassador. The move is expected to boost tourism from India as diplomatic relations are easing between the two countries. Maldives is the latest in a series of companies hiring Bollywood actors as ambassadors to attract Indian tourists. In a recent feature, Skift Asia Editor Peden Doma Bhutia noted that Bollywood has become an economic force in the global tourism industry. Hilton has partnered with actors Deepika Padukone and Sidharth Malhotra as ambassadors. Just the announcement of Deepika Padukone garnered over 1.3 million organic social engagements and generated more than 30 million impressions last year for Hilton, Skift noted. According to Manish Tolani, VP and commercial director, South Asia, Hilton, the partnership with Padukone helped the hotel company 'win new fans and draw our brands ever closer to Indian customers.' In 2023, Accor partnered with Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif to star in its latest campaign of ALL-Accor Live Limitless, the hotel brand's lifestyle loyalty program. Air India Expands Self Check-In, Baggage Drop Facilities Full-service airline Air India has expanded its integrated self-check-in and baggage-drop service. The move will allow passengers flying from India to all destinations operated by the airline in Europe, the UK, and Canada to avail this facility. The airline already allows this facility for passengers flying to the U.S. and Australia. With this development, the facility now extends to a total of 19 airports, including London Heathrow and Gatwick, Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Birmingham, Milan, Zurich, Toronto, Vancouver, New York, Chicago, Newark, Washington, San Francisco, Sydney, and Melbourne. Using the self check-in and baggage drop facility, passengers will have the opportunity for faster check-in using kiosks for printing boarding passes and baggage tags before dropping their own bags in the baggage drop machines. While these machines do eliminate the need to stand in check-in queues, my experience at these machines twice has required help from airport ground staff to get through the baggage drop process. Puducherry Rolls Out Caravan Tourism Puducherry tourism department has formed a policy to support caravan tourism. The beach destination has brought camper vans and caravans under a formal tax structure, and its initiative also facilitates issuing permits not only for such vehicles registered in Puducherry, but those from other states as well. This move will allow travelers to hire camper vans or caravans for travel across the state. Puducherry has launched the tax system for 3, 7, and 30 days. The state is expecting the move to boost tourism as road-based and adventure travel segments are rising in the country. Akasa Air Gets 29th Aircraft in Fleet Low-cost airline Akasa Air on Monday inducted a Boeing 737 Max from Seattle into its fleet. With this addition, the airline's fleet has expanded to 29 aircraft within less than three years of operations. The company is expanding its network rapidly, with operations to 23 Indian and five international destinations. To support this expansion, the airline placed orders totalling 226 Boeing 737 Max planes. Of these, 150 jets were ordered last January, and the airline is expecting delivery till 2032. IHG Signs Holiday Inn Hotel in Ahmedabad IHG Hotels and Resorts has signed a new Holiday Inn-branded hotel in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The 150-room hotel is expected to open in 2028. The property will be a part of the Highline mixed-use residential and commercial development. According to IHG, the signing is a part of the company's strategy of expanding in high-potential markets across India. 'Ahmedabad has emerged as a key destination with robust demand across industrial, commercial, and educational sectors,' said Sudeep Jain, managing director, South West Asia at IHG. He added that India continues to be a priority market for the company across the world.
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business Upturn
IndiGo Doubles Flights to Central Asia: Daily services to Tashkent, Almaty, Tbilisi begin August 2024
IndiGo has announced a significant expansion of its Central Asian routes, doubling flight frequency to Almaty, Tbilisi, and Tashkent from Delhi starting August 2024, moving from weekly schedules to daily operations. Expanded Flight Schedule Details Starting August 16, 2024, IndiGo will operate daily flights from Delhi to Almaty and Tbilisi, while daily services to Tashkent begin August 17, 2024. This represents a major capacity increase from the previous schedule of four flights per week to Tashkent and three flights per week to Almaty and Tbilisi. The enhanced schedule includes: Tashkent route : Daily flights (up from 4 weekly) : Daily flights (up from 4 weekly) Almaty route : Daily flights (up from 3 weekly) : Daily flights (up from 3 weekly) Tbilisi route: Daily flights (up from 3 weekly) Strategic Expansion in Central Asia IndiGo first launched operations to Tashkent, Almaty, and Tbilisi in 2023. With this expansion, the airline now operates daily flights to all four Central Asian destinations in its network: Tashkent, Almaty, Tbilisi, and Baku. The move reflects growing demand for international travel and IndiGo's strategy to strengthen trade, tourism, and mobility connections between India and Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. Executive Statement Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, commented on the expansion: 'We are pleased to announce additional flights to Tashkent, Almaty, and Tbilisi from Delhi. These new flights have been announced to cater to the increasing demand for outbound and leisure travel to these destinations.' He emphasized IndiGo's commitment to connecting people and places while maintaining their focus on affordable, punctual, and hassle-free travel experiences. Destination Highlights Tashkent, Uzbekistan Uzbekistan's capital offers rich cultural attractions including the State Museum of History, Amir Timur Museum, and iconic Tashkent Tower. Key attractions include Chorsu Bazaar, Minor Mosque, Museum of Applied Arts, and Amir Temur Square. Almaty, Kazakhstan Kazakhstan's largest city combines urban life with natural beauty, surrounded by Trans-Ili Alatau Mountains. Popular destinations include Medeu Ice-skating Rink and Shymbulak Ski Resort, along with numerous museums, theaters, and parks. Tbilisi, Georgia Georgia's capital blends history and modernity with landmarks like Narikala Fortress, historic Old Town with sulfur baths, and Holy Trinity Cathedral. The city serves as a cultural and economic center in the region. Booking and Connectivity Customers can book flights through IndiGo's official website or mobile app. The expanded services strengthen IndiGo's international connectivity and position in the Central Asian market. The airline's proactive capacity expansion demonstrates confidence in the growing travel demand between India and Central Asian countries, supporting both business and leisure travel segments.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Central Asia's Resources Spark a New Global Scramble
Having arrived in Central Asia to make deals, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni did a lot of name-checking during a policy address at the Astana International Forum. First, she went for the low-hanging fruit, giving a shout-out to Marco Polo, pointing to the legendary 13th century Venetian merchant-explorer to support her assertion that it is in 'the DNA of the Italian people' to seek new trade possibilities. She then dusted off a name that had fallen out of favor for decades — Halford Mackinder, the early 20th century British geographer who is considered a founding father of geopolitics — to explain why she was participating in a May 30 summit with the leaders of all five Central Asian states. She referred to Mackinder's heartland theory, a concept developed in 1904 that asserts the nation which controls the heartland's abundant natural resources will dominate global politics. She described Central Asia as the hinge of Mackinder's heartland, 'one of the pivots around which the fate of the world revolves.' Meloni sounded profound and sincere but invoking Mackinder's century-old ideas seemed somewhat out of sync with the substance of her message that the post-World War II system is broken, and nations now need to 'look beyond the horizon' to create a new order. 'Everything around us is changing and the few certainties we thought we had are no longer there,' she stated. In one respect, the Mackinder reference says a lot about how the European Union (along with the United States) is grappling with changing realities. The calls by Meloni and others for new thinking aren't being matched by actions to put an actual strategy in all the 'strategic partnerships' being forged with Central Asia. That Meloni retreated so far back into the past, instead of citing a more contemporary thinker to offer an intellectual framework for engagement with Central Asia, merely underscores a lack of vision, not just by Italy, but also the European Union and the United States. Mackinder may have been prescient in anticipating the importance of Central Asia's natural resources, but one should keep in mind that he formulated his ideas when an airplane could barely fly a few hundred feet, international finance rested on the gold standard, battleships were kings of the seas and AI was something right out of H.G. Wells. The complexity of global supply chains was unfathomable to him. His frame of reference was colonial. The Mackinder reference can also be seen as a mea culpa of sorts, tacit recognition that Western nations are playing catch-up in Central Asia, finally recognizing more than 30 years after the Soviet collapse that the region has a lot more to offer than oil and natural gas. For all of Meloni's talk about a need 'to look beyond geographic boundaries,' her visit to Central Asia stuck to largely familiar terrain. The announcements published during her visit sounded a lot like those produced following April's EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, or those coming out of Washington regarding a desire to strike deals for critical minerals, build out the Middle Corridor and forge strategic partnerships. Long on aspiration, short on details. Overall, the Italian delegation concluded 7 billion euros worth of investment deals with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, but the statements contained few specifics about the projects. The joint statement issued following the summit featured the usual language about creating an 'open and constructive dialogue,' while expressing an intent to 'expand cooperation in interrelated areas such as natural resources, climate and energy – including renewable energy, (e.g. solar, wind, hydropower etc.), critical raw materials, agriculture, connectivity and critical infrastructure – including through the EU's Global Gateway strategy.' But again, details were scant on how to achieve the lofty goals. One area where Italy seemed to set itself apart from the EU in general and the United States was an interest in helping Central Asian states address water resource management challenges and improve agricultural productivity. Still, while EU and US officials seem to know where they want to go in Central Asia, they don't seem to have a good road map to get there. Central Asian states aren't shy about wanting to give the EU and US directions. Both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are keen to have Western powers involved in the carbon and critical minerals sectors, as well as the development of green energy solutions. But they don't want to merely be sources of raw materials; they want to be refiners and exporters of finished products. Thus, for cooperation to be successful, a solid infrastructure needs to be established. There needs to be follow-up. At the summit, Uzbek leader Shavkat Mirziyoyev outlined steps that Central Asian states want to see taken, calling for a 'comprehensive multilateral Program of Industrial and Technological Cooperation' enabling 'technology transfer, the introduction of advanced knowledge and best practices, [and the] creation of high-tech industrial facilities.' The watchword he used was 'localization.' Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sounded similar notes, calling for the creation of a mechanism in which raw materials are exchanged for investment, technology and know-how in other areas. He also expressed a desire for Western geological expertise to help map deposits of critical minerals. Both Mirziyoyev and Tokayev called for systematic and regular diplomatic consultations, as well as significantly expanded educational exchanges. They want to feel confident that Central Asia will remain on the West's radar. To build effective strategic partnerships, then, EU members along with the United States need to listen more and have the patience to lay the groundwork to expand trade while helping Central Asian states in ways that China and Russia cannot, providing knowledge and resources that assist the region in confronting climate change, building local capacity and making the most efficient use of dwindling water resources. The heartland has grown a lot more complex since Mackinder's day. As Tokayev noted in his opening speech at the Astana International Forum: 'We must recognize that the threats to global security are not only geopolitical.' By Justin Burke via More Top Reads From this article on
