In news since our last travel update; Indigo announces Seychelles as its 39th international destination with direct flights between Mumbai and Mahe; IndiGo is making its long-haul debut with non-stop flights to Manchester and Amsterdam from July, strengthening its European network, while also launching direct flights from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Krabi in March; Air India is shifting its Tokyo operations from Narita to Haneda Airport and is expanding its codeshare agreement with All Nippon Airways; Air India has launched ‘ZipAhead,’ a paid priority check-in and baggage handling service for economy class passengers at six major Indian airports. These are more updates in our March edition.

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) to be inaugurated in June:

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will be inaugurated in June, Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group that is building this upcoming hub, said on Sunday, 16th March after visiting the site.

An airport gets operational a month or so after the ribbon cutting as multiple agencies, including security, and stakeholders, like airlines, start setting up systems after inauguration, a process which takes 30 to 45 days. As per these timelines, we can expect the commercial operations to begin in July or August.

Air India launches ‘ZipAhead’ priority check-in and handling service for economy class guests:

Air India announced the launch of ‘ZipAhead’, a paid service offering priority check-in and priority baggage handling to Economy Class travellers on flights within India. The service is designed to enable time-conscious travellers who are otherwise not eligible for priority services to save time at on-ground touchpoints and breeze through airports.

Air India guests opting for the ‘ZipAhead’ service will be able to check-in at the airline’s dedicated Premium Economy check-in counters and enjoy priority baggage handling services. The service is currently available for departures from six Indian airports, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, at nominal fees as follows:

• INR 499: If purchased more than 6 hours before departure
• INR 699: If purchased within 6 hours of departure

‘ZipAhead’ is available for purchase up to 75 minutes before departure. Priority services are complimentary for Platinum and Gold members of Air India’s Maharaja Club loyalty programme, regardless of the fare type or class of travel they choose.

New passport rules 2025: 5 key updates explained

In a significant policy update, the central government has revised passport application rules, bringing in stricter documentation requirements and procedural changes. Here are five key takeaways from the new passport regulations:

1. Birth certificate now mandatory

   Starting October 1, 2023, individuals born on or after this date must provide a birth certificate as the sole official proof of their date of birth. This certificate must be issued by the Municipal Corporation, the Registrar of Births and Deaths, or an authority designated under the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Those born before to this date, however, may continue to use other papers, such as extracts from service records, a PAN card, a driving licence, a school leaving certificate or a matriculation certificate.

2. Residential address to be embedded digitally

   Residential addresses will no longer be printed on the last page of passports in an effort to improve security and privacy. Rather, a barcode inserted in the paper will be scanned by immigration officials to retrieve this information.

3. Introduction of a colour-coding system

   To simplify passport identification, the government has introduced a colour-coded system:

   • White passports for government officials

   • Red passports for diplomats

   • Blue passports will continue to be issued to ordinary citizens

   This change aims to streamline identification processes for different categories of passport holders.

4. Removal of parents' names from passports

   The updated rules remove the requirement to print parents' names on the last page of passports, improving privacy and benefiting individuals from single-parent or separated families.

5. Expansion of Passport Seva Kendras

   To expedite passport services, the government plans to increase the number of Post Office Passport Seva Kendras (POPSKs) from 442 to 600 during the course of the following five years. To support this expansion, the Department of Posts and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have extended their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a further five years.

IndiGo Expands International Network to Seychelles:

In a significant milestone in the airline’s growing global connectivity, Indigo has announced direct flights to Seychelles, the airline’s 39th international destination.

Starting from March 22, 2025, IndiGo will operate four weekly flights to the picturesque island nation from Mumbai to Mahe as per the following schedule:

IndiGo announces direct flights between Mumbai and Bengaluru to Krabi:

After Bangkok and Phuket, IndiGo announces direct flights to Krabi, it’s third destination in Thailand with a daily service between Mumbai and Bengaluru to the beach town.

Schedule from Mumbai to Krabi with effect from 23rd March:

Schedule from Bengaluru to Krabi with effect from 30th March:

IndiGo's first-ever long-haul flights to Manchester and Amsterdam to commence from July:

IndiGo marks a major milestone with its long- haul debut, announcing thrice weekly non-stop flights to Manchester and Amsterdam from July subject to regulatory approvals. These two European destinations will be the latest additions to IndiGo’s rapidly expanding global network, offering customers a seamless connectivity between India and Europe. The service to Manchester will be the only direct route from India to the North of the UK.

Over the past two years, IndiGo has been already building its brand presence in Europe through multiple codeshare partnerships connecting several European cities to India.

Earlier this year, IndiGo entered into a wet lease agreement with Norse Atlantic Airways for a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which was inducted into operations on March 1, 2025 and recently, the agreement was expanded to include the wet lease of three additional aircraft, scheduled to join the fleet towards the second half of this year. Collectively, these aircraft will enable IndiGo to make an early entry into the long-haul market and establish itself in Europe while the airline awaits the delivery of its Airbus A321 XLR and A350-900 aircraft from 2027 onwards.

Air India to shift Tokyo operations to Haneda Airport, expands codeshare agreement with
All Nippon Airways:

Air India will operate its 4x weekly flights from Delhi to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND), replacing its existing services to Narita International Airport (NRT), to provide passengers faster and more affordable access to central Tokyo which is just 18 kms from downtown.

Complementing the shift to Tokyo Haneda, Air India also announced an expanded codeshare agreement with its Star Alliance partner, All Nippon Airways (ANA), to provide Air India guests convenient onward connections from Tokyo Haneda to 6 other major cities in Japan that includes Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Okinawa, Osaka, and Sapporo. This will allow Air India guests to travel to any of these destinations on a single ticket, with their baggage checked through the entire journey.

Here is the schedule of the four times a week service between Delhi & Haneda:

Vietnam Airlines expands India network with flights from Bengaluru and Hyderabad starting May 2025:

Vietnam Airlines is accelerating its expansion into India’s booming travel market with new routes to South India’s key cities. The carrier has announced four weekly flights from Bengaluru (BLR) and three weekly flights from Hyderabad (HYD) to Hanoi, using its modern Airbus A321 aircraft.

With these additions, the carrier now serves four major Indian cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, strengthening its presence in the region and enhancing connectivity between India and Vietnam.

Flights starting May 2025 with the following schedule:

Indigo announces 2nd frequency to Goa (GOI):

Indigo announces direct flights between Pune and Goa (Dabolim - GOI) with effect from 30th March will the following schedule:

This marks the airline’s 2nd frequency to Goa. Currently Indigo operates daily (except Saturday) flights between Pune and GOX (Mopa) as per the below schedule:

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