Latest news with #DragonPass
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Govt unlikely to renew IndiGo pact with Turkish Airlines, Infra News, ET Infra
Advt Advt The government is unlikely to extend the commercial airline IndiGo 's leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines due to strained diplomatic relations following Turkey's open support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India to avenge the killings of 26 tourists.'The current pact, which enables IndiGo to operate wide-body aircraft on the Delhi-Istanbul route, expires on May 31. The government review is underway and the deal is unlikely to be renewed given the broader diplomatic context,' according to an NDTV Profit report, citing people in the currently operates over 500-seater Airbus A330s on lease from Turkish Airlines for its Istanbul flights. The partnership also includes a codeshare deal that allows IndiGo to sell connections to over 40 destinations in Europe and North America via Thursday, IndiGo defended the collaboration, calling it 'strategic' and essential for offering Indian flyers long-haul international from the vocal support during the heinous Pahalgam massacre, Turkey has also supplied drones to Pakistan, which were used to attack India during Operation issue of renewal of the IndiGo agreement with Turkish Airlines comes up at a time when India is already snapping ties with Turkish businesses and government on Thursday revoked the security clearance for Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services at Indian airports, due to national security Turkish company handled around 70 per cent of the ground operations at Mumbai airport, including passenger services, load control, flight operations, cargo and postal services, warehouses and bridge operations. Adani Airport Holdings has also scrapped its agreement with Turkish company DragonPass to provide the latter's customers access to its airport lounges.'Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers,' the Adani Airport Holdings spokesperson said on of Indian tourists have cancelled their trips to Turkey and Azerbaijan as part of the nationalistic backlash against these countries for supporting Pakistan in the conflict with India. Leading online travel booking platforms MakeMyTrip and EaseMyTrip have reported mass cancellations and a sharp drop in Indian tourists wanting to travel to Turkey and many Indian universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, and Maulana Azad National Urdu University, have suspended academic ties with Turkish institutions.
Hans India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Govt unlikely to renew IndiGo pact with Turkish Airlines
New Delhi: The government is unlikely to extend the commercial airline IndiGo's leasing agreement with Turkish Airlines due to strained diplomatic relations following Turkey's open support for Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India to avenge the killings of 26 tourists. The current pact, which enables IndiGo to operate wide-body aircraft on the Delhi-Istanbul route, expires on May 31. The government review is underway and the deal is unlikely to be renewed given the broader diplomatic context,' according to an NDTV Profit report, citing people in the know. IndiGo currently operates over 500-seater Airbus A330s on lease from Turkish Airlines for its Istanbul flights. The partnership also includes a codeshare deal that allows IndiGo to sell connections to over 40 destinations in Europe and North America via Istanbul. On Thursday, IndiGo defended the collaboration, calling it 'strategic' and essential for offering Indian flyers long-haul international access. Apart from the vocal support during the heinous Pahalgam massacre, Turkey has also supplied drones to Pakistan, which were used to attack India during Operation Sindoor. The issue of renewal of the IndiGo agreement with Turkish Airlines comes up at a time when India is already snapping ties with Turkish businesses and universities. The government revoked the security clearance for Turkish ground-handling firm Celebi Airport Services at Indian airports, due to national security concerns. The Turkish company handled around 70 per cent of the ground operations at Mumbai airport, including passenger services, load control, flight operations, cargo and postal services, warehouses and bridge operations. Adani Airport Holdings has also scrapped its agreement with Turkish company DragonPass to provide the latter's customers access to its airport lounges. 'Our association with DragonPass, which provided access to airport lounges, has been terminated with immediate effect. DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports. This change will have no impact on the airport lounge and travel experience for other customers,' the Adani Airport Holdings spokesperson said on Thursday.
Skift
20-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Indian Airports Drop Turkish, Chinese Partners Amid Geopolitical Tensions
The India-Pakistan armed conflict may have ended, but the fallout continues to impact how Indian travel companies conduct business. Indian airports have terminated agreements with Turkish and Chinese firms for their support for Pakistan during the India-Pakistan armed conflict earlier this month. This comes after several Indian travel companies suspended new bookings to Turkey and Azerbaijan. On Thursday, India revoked the security clearance for Turkey-based Celebi's airport operations in what it called the 'interest of national security.' The company provides airport ground handling services at New Delhi, Kerala, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Goa airports. Shortly after, Delhi airport said it had 'officially ended its association' with the company for its ground and cargo operations. In response, Celebi filed a lawsuit against India on Friday. Celebi's operations were replaced by Indian counterparts IndoThai, AISATS, and the Bird Group at Mumbai and Delhi airports overnight. Also on Thursday, Adani Airports Holdings said that it was terminating its recent partnership with Chinese company DragonPass, which offers airport lounge access services. The termination came a week after the association started. A spokesperson of Adani Airports said that the termination was immediate. Consequently, DragonPass members no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed seven airports across India. A Reuters report on Friday said Air India was lobbying to halt IndiGo's leasing collaboration with Turkish Airlines. However, Air India has denied these reports. Under the agreement, IndiGo received two planes with pilots and some crew from the Turkish flag carrier to operate on New Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul routes. Following the reports, IndiGo has defended its codeshare agreement and leasing tie-up with Turkish Airlines, saying that the arrangement benefits Indian travelers, creates jobs, and supports aviation growth. The lease agreement is valid until May 31 this year and is pending government approval for extension. However, a report by Indian news platform NDTV Profit said that the government is unlikely to extend the partnership, which is currently under review. Strained Ties: Earlier this month, Turkey and Azerbaijan officially condemned India's strikes on terror bases in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Pakistan in response to a terror attack that killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam on April 22. U.S. Visa Wait Times Exceed 1 Year for Indians The wait time in India for tourist visas to the U.S. has now gone back to exceeding a year and that has mostly to do with the demand coming from Indians wanting to visit the U.S. Delays in appointments for B1/B2 visas in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai range between 7.5 months to 13.5 months, according to the U.S. department of state website. There is also a scarcity of priority slots, meant for expedited appointments for urgent cases. The U.S. government has resumed full visa operations in India, but the demand is outpacing available slots leading to an extreme backlog across consulates. While the U.S. was witnessing sharp decline in travel interest from others countries, Indians were expressing growing enthusiasm to visit the country, a Skift Research survey showed last month. Indian travelers were the only major group to report a net positive shift in their intent to visit the U.S. over the past 12 months, the report read. Last year, the U.S. mission in India announced that it had reduced the visa wait times to 250 days in India. The U.S. Embassy in India this weekend has also issued an advisory warning Indian citizens against overstaying in the U.S. during their visit. 'If you remain in the United States beyond your authorized period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States in the future,' the mission said on X on Saturday. India Reported Highest Number of Outbound Travelers in 2024 As Indian travelers continued to travel, the country posted its highest number of outbound travelers on record last year, according to the new Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI) report. The report noted that Indian tourists' top three destinations were Abu Dhabi, Hanoi, and Bali. This growth is supported by increased direct connectivity and a rapidly growing middle class, it said. It also noted that tourists from India, along with those from Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan, are sensitive to exchange rate fluctuations. 'A 1% depreciation of the United States Dollar (USD) against their local currencies corresponds to an approximate 0.6–0.8% increase in the number of tourists traveling to the U.S.,' it said, adding that these travelers are more responsive to exchange rate movements while selecting outbound destinations. Oyo Reports 20% Growth in Corporate Clients Indian hospitality company Oyo reported a 20% year-on-year surge in its corporate client base during the 2024-25 financial year. Oyo said it added 3,500 new corporate clients through the year, with its network now consisting of over 6,500 corporate clients. In a statement, Oyo said that its corporate travel business received a significant boost after the launch of Oravel Travel Solutions in October last year. Oravel Travel Solutions is a dedicated B2B platform through which the company aims to capture the burgeoning corporate travel business. Oyo further noted that it has recorded a surge in long stays and event-based stays with the corporate clients. IndiGo Adds 3 New Flights to the Gulf Region IndiGo has announced three new international routes between India and the Gulf region. The carrier is set to commence flights connecting Kochi and Hyderabad to Bahrain. It will also operate on the Chennai-Muscat route. All of these routes are set to commence next month. The three routes improve IndiGo's connectivity from South India to the Gulf region. The announcements come weeks after the airline launched new services to Abu Dhabi from Madurai, Bhubaneswar, and Visakhapatnam. Skift had reported last year that India's rising significance in the Middle East is leading to airlines from India as well as the region to add frequencies and new routes to enhance connectivity. Mizoram Witnesses 114% Surge in Tourism The Northeastern state of Mizoram received nearly 470,000 tourists during the 2024-25 financial year through February, according to data released by the Mizoram Tourism Department. This was more than double the number of tourist footfalls in the state the year prior. The 114% surge is significant even as the data for March 2025 remains to be compiled. The data showed that the over 464,000 tourists visiting the state were domestic travelers, while a little over 5,000 international tourists visited the state. Foreign travelers included those from the U.S., UK, China, Japan, and Germany. Most tourists visited the state for business, the officials said.
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Ospree Duty Free launches India's first in-lounge retail experience at Mumbai airport, ET TravelWorld
Adani Airport Holdings has terminated its recent partnership with DragonPass. This decision was made just a week after the collaboration began. DragonPass customers will no longer have lounge access at Adani-managed airports. Adani Power also secured a deal to supply thermal power to Uttar Pradesh. The company won a bid to provide 1500 MW of power at a competitive rate.
India Today
16-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Adani drops Chinese lounge partner DragonPass: What it means for Indian flyers
A newly minted partnership between Adani Airport Holdings and Chinese travel platform DragonPass has been dropped barely a week after take-off. The move, triggered by rising national security concerns, has ended DragonPass's access to Adani-managed airport lounges across the country.'DragonPass customers will no longer have access to lounges at Adani-managed airports,' the company said in a statement, adding that regular travellers will see no disruption in lounge or travel DID ADANI DROP DRAGONPASS? At the heart of the pullback lies India's sharpened scrutiny of foreign entities operating in critical infrastructure. Following the Pahalgam terror attack and rising cross-border tensions with Pakistan, authorities have stepped up their review of Chinese and Turkish firms in aviation and other sensitive headquartered in Guangzhou, offers global airport lounge access and travel privileges via credit cards and corporate programs. In India, the company had quietly built a vast footprint—partnering with Adani lounges in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Guwahati, as well as securing access to multiple terminals at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Delhi, DragonPass had been active in over 30 Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Pune, and Srinagar, making it one of the widest-spread foreign players in India's lounge that very scale raised red flags. Concerns reportedly emerged over data privacy, passenger information access, and potential surveillance risks. With lounge operations integrated into airport networks, regulators were wary of giving a Chinese platform backend visibility into passenger movement and behavioural RUNS DRAGONPASS?advertisementInterestingly, DragonPass is helmed by Mark Ian Koch, a British national. Koch also heads DragonPass International Ltd, a UK-registered arm of the company. Despite its Chinese roots, the firm has been positioning itself as a global brand, claiming over 10 million members and aiming to scale up to 1,500 lounges worldwide by due to geopolitical headwinds, its ties to China—and its growing control over digital travel infrastructure—proved too strong to move against DragonPass isn't isolated. The government has also revoked security clearance for Turkish firm Celebi Airport Services, which handles ground operations at several Indian airports. Together, the actions reflect a strategic rethink of foreign involvement in aviation services—especially from countries that have drawn scrutiny on national security WILL IT IMPACT FLYERS?For frequent travellers, the change is unlikely to cause major inconvenience. Domestic aggregator DreamFolks continues to dominate the lounge access space in India, while Priority Pass remains the gold standard globally and is widely accepted across Indian airports through partnerships with leading Indian credit cards, too, offer direct lounge access benefits that remain while DragonPass's departure might mean fewer swipe options for some cards, alternatives are aplenty.
