SINGAPORE, 30 January 2025: Etihad Airways will expand its Italian route network by adding a third daily flight to Milan, starting 1 November 2025.
The new flight will respond to increasing customer demand by offering more choice and flexibility between Abu Dhabi and Italy’s fashion capital.
Photo credit: Etihad.
“With our morning, afternoon and evening departures from Abu Dhabi and sensational value fares, our triple-daily Milan flights serve up perfect timings for guests travelling in both directions,” said Etihad Airways Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De. “This enhanced schedule gives travellers more options to explore Abu Dhabi and connect to our growing global network while strengthening vital links between two dynamic cities.”
The combined triple-daily service will see Etihad offer 12,600 weekly seats between Abu Dhabi and Milan, representing a year-on-year capacity increase of almost 115%.
Boeing 777-300 and Airbus A321LR aircraft will fly the route.
MUMBAI, 30 January 2025: Thomas Cook (India) secured a prestigious contract with the Indian Government, making it the exclusive partner (accommodation, catering, and transport) for the National Games of India 2025, which opened on 28 January.
This Olympic-style, multi-sport event brings together top athletes from across India’s states and union territories. It features 32 sporting disciplines and four demonstration events and is being hosted in Uttarakhand until 14 February 2025.
Photo credit: Thomas Cook India. On-call at the Games for accommodation, catering, and transport
Thomas Cook India’s role as the exclusive partner delivers end-to-end management across three key portfolios of accommodation, catering and transport for the 20,000-strong Games contingent. It includes over 10,000 athletes, 5,000 support staff, and 3,000 dignitaries. Thomas Cook India has deployed a dedicated team of over 200 staff to manage operations across 11 locations and 32 venues over 18 nights.
Standouts of the partnership
• Management of over 50,000 room nights across multiple locations and venues. • More than 250,000 meals prepared in live kitchens for athletes, support staff, and dignitaries. • Over 5,000 coaches and 12,000 small vehicle duties to ensure smooth operations. • A dedicated 24/7 control room with a toll-free number to support all event-related queries. • Over 1,000 trees were planted by Thomas Cook India as part of the Green Games initiative.
Thomas Cook (India) Limited President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa Rajeev Kale said: “The much anticipated National Games 2025, inaugurated by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, celebrate India’s top athletes while playing a pivotal role in advancing India’s sports ecosystem… It is truly an honour for us at Thomas Cook India to be selected for the second consecutive year as the exclusive partner for the prestigious National Games.”
KUCHING, Sarawak, 29 January 2025: Submissions for the highly anticipated Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards (BILA) 2025, organised by BESarawak, will be accepted from 1 March to 1 June 2025.
In a press statement released last week, BESarawak said the awards celebrate outstanding legacies across the business events sector.
Submissions for BILA 2025 are open to business event planners, industry vendors and suppliers, journalists, and other professionals from Malaysia and around the world.
With 18 awards up for grabs, spread across five categories, BILA aims to honour individuals and organisations for their initiatives that are impacting Sarawak.
Award categories
Conventions Legacy Excellence Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)
Exhibitions Legacy Excellence Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)
Corporate Meetings & Incentives Corporate Social Responsibility Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)
Sarawak Industry Subcategories: Economic, Environmental, Social, Honorary (encompassing economic, environmental, and social achievements)
Journalism Subcategories: Broadcast, Print/Online
“Expanding the iconic Anak Sarawak Awards into the Borneo Inspires Legacy Awards, a global awards ceremony, is an exciting development. We have many strategic partners worldwide whose actions have impacted Sarawak’s business events sector, and they deserve to be seen and recognised,” said Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. “It’s a chance to recognise those directly or indirectly contributing to the success of Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030.”
“BILA is a platform to inspire our industry and showcase how business events can deliver value beyond the event itself,” said Dato Sri Abang Haji Abdul Karim bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg, Chairman of BESarawak. “We are the first and only in Malaysia and Borneo with an award programme focusing on the all-round impacts of business events.”
BESarawak CEO Amelia Roziman said that BILA is the celebration element in Sarawak’s brand-new homegrown forum, LEGACY360. “This is Southeast Asia’s first forum dedicated to business event legacies and the perfect way to top it off is to host BILA.”
BILA nominees must have made their achievements between 2023 and June 2025. Nominations can be made by individuals and organisations connected to the business events sector. Self-nominations are accepted, and nominations are open globally.
NEW DELHI, 29 January 2025: The Moscow City Tourism Committee is ramping up efforts to deepen collaboration with India’s outbound tourism market, focusing on business events or the MICE sector.
Moscow is reinforcing its status as a premier leisure and business tourism destination, with India emerging as a key strategic partner.
Photo credit: Moscow City Tourism Committee.
After 2020, India was among the leading non-CIS countries that sent tourists to Moscow, a trend that continued robustly throughout 2024. In the first half of 2024, the Russian capital welcomed 28,500 visitors from India, a remarkable 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023. This growth was driven primarily by the introduction of the eVisa system in August 2023, which made travel to Russia for Indian passport holders more accessible and boosted MICE traffic.
Evgeny Kozlov, First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee, said: “While most tourists visit Moscow for cultural, educational, and entertainment purposes, the city has also been focusing on expanding business tourism, which is now a significant contributor to the local economy.
“By 2030, the number of foreign tourists is expected to reach 6 million, mainly due to travellers from the CIS countries, the Asia-Pacific region, India and the Middle East.”
Attending OTM travel show
Moscow Tourism is attending the OTM International Tourism Exhibition in Mumbai from 30 January to 1 February 2025.
Ahead of the exhibition, on 28 January a Moscow Business Mission comprising prominent Moscow tourism representatives and approximately 80 Indian tour operators and industry stakeholders convened in Mumbai, followed by a reception on 29 January, hosted by the Moscow City Tourism Committee, welcomed Indian partners, High ranking officials in attended, including Ivan Fetisov, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai, Victor Gorelykh, the Director of the Russian House in Mumbai, and Evgeny Kozlov, Chairman of the Moscow City Tourism Committee.
HO CHI MINH CITY, 29 January 2025: Vietjet introduces new direct routes to Beijing and Guangzhou effective 30 March, with 24 weekly return flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi to the Chinese cities.
The latest route announcements follow the recent introduction of flights to Shanghai, Chengdu, and Xi’an as Vietnam’s low-cost airline rapidly expands its network in China. A320s and A321s serve the routes.
Ho Chi Minh City – Beijing
The Ho Chi Minh City – Beijing route will operate daily, with flights connecting Vietnam’s southern commercial hub to Beijing Daxing International Airport.
Flight VJ3948 will depart Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) at 2010 and arrive in Beijing (PKX) at 0200 plus a day. (Daily). Flight VJ3949 will depart Beijing (PKX) at 0300 and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) at 0655. (Daily).
Hanoi – Beijing
The Hanoi – Beijing flights will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the flights from Beijing to Hanoi will depart on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.
Flight VJ7712 departs Hanoi (HAN) at 2045 and arrives in Beijing (PKX) at 0110 plus a day. (Tue, Thu and Sat). Flight VJ7713 departs Beijing (PKX) at 0215 and arrives in Hanoi (HAN) at 0450. (Wed, Fri and Sun)
The Ho Chi Minh City – Guangzhou route will operate daily, connecting to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Daily flights are also scheduled for the Hanoi – Guangzhou route. A321s serve both routes. According to timetable data supplied by the airline, flights are due to launch on 30 March.
Hanoi – Guangzhou
Flight VJ7526 will depart Hanoi (HAN) at 2325 and arrive in Guangzhou (CAN) at 0205 plus a day. (Daily). Flight VJ7527 will depart Guangzhou (CAN) at 0305 and arrive in Hanoi (HAN at 0400. (Daily).
Ho Chi Minh City – Guangzhou
Flight VJ3908 departs Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) at 2145 and arrives in Guangzhou (CAN) at 0130, plus a day. (Daily). Flight VJ3909 departs Guangzhou (CAN) at 0230 and arrives at Ho Chin Minh City (SGN) at 0405. (Daily).
BANGKOK, 29 January 2025: Thai AirAsia will increase flights from four weekly to daily on its Bangkok – Kathmandu route effective from 26 February until 31 March 2025.
The airline posted a THB3,590* one-way promotional fare bookable from 27 January on its Facebook page. The offer ends on 9 February. Frequencies revert to four flights a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sun) at the end of March, although the travel period for the discounted one-way fare runs from 27 February to 29 October 2025.
Flight schedule
Flight FD182 departs Bangkok (DMK) at 1150 and arrives in Kathmandu (KTM) at 1400. Flight FD183 departs Kathmandu (KTM) at 1500 and arrives in Bangkok (DMK) at 1935.
*Fares exclude add-ons and other applicable fees and are bookable only on airasia.com or AirAsia MOVE.
MANILA, 29 January 2025: Philippine Airlines will introduce three weekly flights between Manila and Beijing on 30 March as part of an ongoing plan to boost services between the Philippines and Mainland China.
PAL will schedule early morning departures from Manila’s NAIA Terminal 1 every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and mid-day departures from
Beijing Capital International Airport. The airline will deploy an A321neo with 199 seats configured in two classes, business and economy.
Flight PR358 will depart Manila (MNL) at 0655 and arrive in Beijing (PEK) at 1145. Flight PR359 will depart Beijing (PEK) at 1255 and arrive in Manila (MNL) at 1805.
Competition will be tough as Air China, the sole carrier offering direct services, flies the route daily using an A330-300 aircraft with 300 seats. The average roundtrip fare on the route is USD430. Fares peak in March at an average of USD893 and in August at USD853,
Bookings are open on the airline’s website and mobile app or through authorised ticketing offices and travel agencies.
DUBAI UAE, 29 January 2025: Emirates’ A350 debuted in India on 26 January, flying to Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The Airbus A350 now serves five destinations in the airline’s network.
The rollout of Emirates’ A350 aircraft to India, featuring the airline’s latest interiors, industry-first technologies and innovations, reinforces Emirates’ commitment to customers in India and beyond and offers exceptional levels of comfort onboard.
Emirates’ A350 services to both Mumbai and Ahmedabad operates daily as follows (all times are local):
Mumbai: Emirates’ A350 operates the route daily on EK502 and EK503. EK502 departs Dubai at 1315, arriving in Mumbai at 1750. The return flight, EK503 leaves Mumbai at 1920, arriving in Dubai at 2105.
Ahmedabad: Emirates’ A350 operates the route daily on EK538 and EK539. EK538 departs Dubai at 2250, arriving in Ahmedabad at 0255 (next day). EK539 departs Ahmedabad at 0425 arriving back in Dubai at 0615.
The launch of Emirates’ A350 services to the two Indian points follows the launch of operations to Edinburgh, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Emirates also serves Mumbai and Bangalore with daily services on its flagship A380 aircraft, offering customers four cabin classes, including the signature Premium Economy experience. With 167 flights per week, Emirates serves nine points in India.
For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com. Tickets can also be booked on Emirates App, Emirates Retail stores, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
MANILA, 29 January 2025: Radisson Hotel Group announces the signing of Radisson Serviced Apartments Salcedo Makati, an upscale new property in the heart of Makati, Manila’s premier Central Business District.
The property will be the group’s first Radisson-branded hotel in the country and upscale serviced apartment in Metro Manila when it opens in 2026.
It also marks the group’s 16th property in the Philippines, in operation and under development, highlighting its commitment to expanding its footprint in this key market.
Radisson Serviced Apartments Salcedo Makati will feature at least 162 apartments designed for corporate and long-stay guests.
Located in Makati’s financial and entertainment districts, it is close to multinational head offices, major banks, embassies, and shopping centres.
Radisson Hotel Group plans additional properties in key cities across the Philippines in the coming years. It already has six operating hotels and 10 under development, including Radisson Blu Hotel & Residences, Cagayan de Oro, and Fridays Boracay, A Radisson Collection Resort, the first property under the Radisson Collection brand in the Philippines, both set to open in 2028.
SINGAPORE, 29 January 2025: Lufthansa will fly the Munich-Denver (USA) route for the first time with the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380, during the upcoming summer timetable.
It will make the capital of Colorado the sixth destination for the A380. The first flight using the A380 is scheduled for 30 April 2025.
Photo credit: Lufthansa. A380 at Munich International Airport.
Lufthansa will fly a daily service from Munich to Denver’s airport at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The A380 will take off from Munich at 1115 (flight LH480) and land in Denver at 1345. The return flight will depart at 1615 and arrive in Munich at 1050 on the following day.
“The Airbus A380 service is the first time a scheduled flight with an aircraft of this size will land there. Passengers, airport visitors and crews love the A380, the flying experience and the feeling of space. At the same time, the A380 offers more premium seats than any other aircraft,” said Lufthansa Airlines CCO Heiko Reitz.
This summer, eight Airbus A380s, each with 509 seats, will be based at Lufthansa’s Munich hub. The destinations are New York (JFK), Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Delhi and Denver. The A380 offers eight seats in first class, 78 seats in business class, 52 in premium economy and 371 in economy.
Lufthansa offers its passengers an attractive destination with Denver. The North American metropolis is the starting point for activities in the Rocky Mountains and an Eldorado for sports and nature enthusiasts. Via the Denver hub of Star Alliance partner United Airlines, Lufthansa passengers can also reach another 170 destinations, including popular destinations such as Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Honolulu.
Lufthansa has been flying nonstop from Munich to Denver for nine years and from Frankfurt for 25 years. In the summer of 2025, the airline will mount four daily flights — two from Munich and two from Frankfurt.
A380 services to Bangkok
Meanwhile, the airline confirms extending its daily Airbus A380 service on the Munich – Bangkok Suvarnabhumi route beyond the winter season ending 31 March until 26 April 2025.
Flight schedule
Flight LH772 will depart Munich (MUC) at 2220 and arrive in Bangkok (BKK) at 1415, plus a day. Flight LH773 will depart Bangkok (BKK) at 2300 and arrive in Munich (MUC) at 0535, plus a day.
More TG codeshare flights
Lufthansa has added three destinations to its codeshare agreement with Thai Airways International, effective January 2025. The additional TG destinations served from its Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) home base are Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Manila.
