India Online Visa Application Facility extend to 8 More cities

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Admin

India has extended integrated online visa application system. The facility, under the Immigration, Visa and Foreigners Registration and Tracking (IVFRT) system, had been made operational at Indian missions at Australia in Perth, Chicago and Houston in the United States, Iran in Tehran, Egypt in Cairo, Taiwan in Taipei and Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand.

which offers secure and hassle-free travel documents to foreigners, to eight more overseas destinations. Now, the facility is available at 60 Indian missions abroad.

The implementation of MMP will enable authentication of traveler’s identity at the missions, ICPs and FROs through use of intelligent document scanners and biometrics, updating of foreigner’s details at entry and exit points, improved tracking of foreigner’s through sharing of information captured during visa issuance.

The other destinations where this facility is currently available are at New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Washington and at Indian missions in Pakistan, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.

The IVFRT offers secure and hassle-free visa to legitimate travelers through a safe and incorporated service delivery framework.

In order to modernize and upgrade the immigration services, the IVFRT has been identified and included as one of the Mission Mode Projects (MMP) to be undertaken by the ministry of home affairs under national e-governance plan (NeGP).

The core objective of this project is to develop and implement a secure and integrated service delivery framework that facilitates legitimate travelers while strengthening security. The scope of the project includes 169 missions, 77 immigration check posts (ICPs), five foreigners regional registration offices and foreigners registration offices (FROs) in the states.

 

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Emirates and Jetblue announces codeshare to US cities

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Admin

Seamless connections available at JFK to a dozen U.S. cities

Emirates customers travelling to the United States will soon enjoy seamless connections to a dozen Major U.S. cities, after the airline announced the start of a one-way codeshare with JetBlue.

The codeshare will further strengthen the relationship between Emirates and JetBlue. The two airlines have been interline partners since 2010, enabling customers to enjoy the convenience of a single combined ticket for Emirates and JetBlue-operated flights, plus other benefits including one-stop check-in and baggage transfer.

“Emirates’ network within the United States will soon extend to almost 20 cities through our partner JetBlue, making flying to the U.S. from the Gulf, Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent and the Far East smoother and more convenient than ever before,” said Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President of Passenger Sales Worldwide. “JetBlue shares our passion for innovation and best-in-class services, and we look forward to continuing to grow the relationship as we seek new ways to build our presence within the United States,” continued Mr Antinori.

“We are pleased to expand upon our successful relationship with Emirates through this new codeshare at JFK, where JetBlue is the number one airline,” said Scott Laurence, JetBlue’s Vice President of Network Planning and Partnerships. “Emirates has been a terrific travel partner for JetBlue, affording our customers easy access to all corners of the globe in comfort and style.”


Boston and Chicago are two of the cities which will soon be within easier reach thanks to Emirates’ new codeshare with JetBlue.

Emirates customers can connect to JetBlue services at New York’s JFK Airport. As a one-way codeshare, an Emirates’ flight number will be placed on JetBlue services to the following cities: Boston (BOS), Burlington (BTV), Buffalo (BUF), Charlotte (CLT), Chicago (ORD), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Jacksonville (JAX), Orlando (MCO), Portland, Maine (PWM), Raleigh/Durham (RDU), Tampa (TPA) and Washington Dulles (IAD).

At JFK Airport, Emirates operates from Terminal 4 while JetBlue operates from the adjacent, 26-gate Terminal 5, allowing for easy connections between flights. In addition, the Quick Connect service available at JFK makes transfers even more hassle-free. Available to all customers with a confirmed onward flight departing within three hours of their Emirates’ flight arrival, Quick Connect enables customers to advance to the head of a specially designated passenger security checkpoint lane at their connecting terminals. The service also extends to baggage, with Emirates arranging the transfer of baggage on to the connecting flights.

Emirates currently offers two daily non-stop flights to JFK – including service aboard its flagship Airbus A380 and its ultra-long range Boeing 777-300ER.

Winner of over 500 international awards, Emirates’ unique service offering includes complimentary chauffeur-driven airport transfers for premium customers, privacy suites in First Class, and an inflight entertainment system featuring over 1,200 channels of new release Hollywood movies, TV, music and games.

The Emirates Lounge at JFK Airport was named one of the Top Airport Lounges in North America by Frommer’s Travel Guides in 2011. The lounge, which is available to First Class and Business Class customers as well as Skywards Gold members, offers a spacious and luxurious seating area, a selection of fine food and beverages to suit any palate, shower facilities, complimentary massages and a fully-equipped Business Centre with independent work stations and complimentary broadband and wireless internet access.

JetBlue is the leading carrier at JFK Airport, where it offers premium, low-fare service to dozens of cities throughout the Americas. Known for its award-winning customer service, JetBlue will offer transfer customers from Emirates’ network of global destinations a premium experience that includes all-leather seating, unlimited free snacks and drinks, plus the most legroom in economy class (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch) and the most free live entertainment of any U.S. airline.

Emirates’ network now encompasses 123 cities globally, served by a fleet of 171 aircraft which are among the youngest in the skies. Emirates’ flights to the U.S. now serve six gateways, with daily services to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Seattle-Tacoma (SEA) having launched in February and March this year. The airline will start non-stop daily flights to its seventh U.S. destination Washington, DC on September 12th 2012.

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Goa airport to be closed during day time for 3 days from April 5

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Admin

Goa airport at Dabolim is heading for an annual maintenance closure for three days during day time from April 5.

The Navy, which maintains the airport, announced that the aerodrome would be closed for all civil and military flying between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. from April 5 to 8. Navy’s public relations officer Commander Prashant Mathur said flights were being rescheduled and measures taken to avoid inconvenience to passengers.

The Airports Authority of India spokesman said every day 25-35 flights would have to be rescheduled. The AAI had not received any intimation of cancellation of domestic or international flights. The airport has maximum traffic early in the morning after which it is opened for military operations.

The civil flights arrive back in the afternoon from 1 p.m. “The slot between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. will be affected due to the closure,” the AAI spokesman said.

The Navy has said that high density traffic — especially of the wide-bodied aircraft during tourist season and military operations — requires preventive periodic maintenance of the runway.

“The planned repairs would go a long way in facilitating safe and efficient operations, especially during monsoon,” the naval spokesman said.

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Emirates opens new business & first class San Francisco lounge

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Admin

Emirates’ business and first class passengers plus Skywards Gold members can look forward to spending time in the airline’s new lounge in San Francisco’s SFO airport.

 The lounge is decorated in Emirates’ trademark sand and blue colours, with the familiar checked cushions, armchairs that have passed the AusBT “comfortable with a laptop on your knees” test and what the airline says is the largest dining area in SFO.

56 of those leather armchairs combine with the dining area to hold up to 130 passengers travelling from San Francisco to Dubai, with the lounge open from noon-4pm daily.

You’ll find the usual Emirates opulence inside, with Italian marble floors, water feature, gold Rolex clocks and dark wood accents, plus leafy dividers separating the different sections of the lounge.

Showers, a business centre, Emirates’ top-notch food/drink offerings and wifi are all provided over two levels, with the reception area upstairs and direct access to the boarding jetbridge.

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Etihad Airways to Launch Non Stop daily flight to Washington

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Admin

Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways is planning to launch non-stop daily flights to Washington, D.C., the airline’s fourth destination in North America, from 31 March 2013, subject to regulatory approvals.

The direct flights will be operated by a three class A340-500 aircraft. Each flight will offer 12 Diamond First class, 28 Pearl Business class and 200 Coral Economy seats, for a total 3,360 seats per week.

The Washington region is home to America’s second largest market flying to the Middle East, after New York. Etihad Airways’ new service will link D.C. with Abu Dhabi, a vibrant and growing hub for business, culture and tourism.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “No other UAE carrier is offering nonstop services between D.C. and the UAE, so this capital-to-capital link is a huge opportunity for Etihad Airways.”

The new service will further strengthen the already strong political and economic ties between the National Capital Region and the UAE. Last week, the US Department of Commerce released data showing that total trade volume between the US and the UAE rose to $18.3 billion in 2011, a 43% increase from the year before.

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