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KSRTC’s superfast premium AC bus set to begin trial run | Travel

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The superfast premium air-conditioned bus launched by the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will begin its trial run soon. After the test run, the performance of the vehicle will be evaluated, and necessary changes will be made before deploying the vehicle in service. The 40-seater bus has pushback seats except at the rear. The side windows can be opened if the AC fails for any reason. The fare for the premium service is higher than that of the superfast service. The existing Volvo low-floor AC buses will be diverted exclusively for city service. In the first phase, 48 buses will be procured from Tata and Leyland companies. The goal is to acquire a total of 220 buses for Rs 36-Rs 38 lakh each. These buses will stop only at major depots. However, passengers who book by paying an additional Rs 10 can board at non-stop locations. The Google Maps location from where the passenger intends to board should be provided at the time of booking the ticket.

Food and beverages for passengers
Meanwhile, offering a big relief to passengers, KSRTC is finalizing a project to serve snacks, bottled water, tea and coffee on its long-distance buses. The move is intended to address grievances of travelers about lack of refreshments during long trips. The food items will be stored on a shelf to be fixed near the driver’s cabin in the space where the television is installed in tourist buses. A vending machine will also be arranged to serve tea and coffee. KSRTC authorities are planning to distribute light snacks which can be consumed easily on buses. KSRTC will lease out the space to set up the food shelf and vending machine to private contractors and bids have been invited for the purpose.

121 passengers reach Kochi after 10 hours

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After waiting for more than 10 hours, 121 passengers out of 179 flyers of the Air India Express IX 1132, which had an emergency landing in Bengaluru on Saturday night, reached Kochi. Authorities informed that the rest of the passengers would reach Kochi later during the day, around evening. The flight had an emergency landing following a fire scare. The passengers staged a protest in Bengaluru airport as the airline issued boarding passes arbitrarily. Earlier, Aby Antony, one of the passengers, told Manorama News that the airline did not address their issues in a timely manner.

Alternate flight arrangement triggered protest
According to Aby, around 4 am on Sunday, the airline authorities said they would arrange hotel facilities and an alternate flight for the flyers. “When we asked how we would enter the airport after exiting, they agreed to issue boarding passes in advance. We later learned that not everyone will get the passes,” Antony said. The issue was so random that only three of a four-member family got passes. Similarly, a daughter was left out while her parents got the passes. “When asked about those left out, we were told that alternate flights would be arranged later in the day, around 12.30 pm or 4 pm, for them. That’s when we decided to protest, demanding flights for all passengers, together,” he said . Antony also alleged that the airline had not arranged food after 4 pm on Saturday. “We weren’t even served a tea in the morning,” he said.

The emergency landing
The flight made the landing at Bengaluru after a fire was noticed in one of its engines, the Bangalore International Airport Ltd said on Sunday. All the passengers and crew were evacuated and no one was injured, Air India Express said in an earlier statement. According to sources, the fire was noticed minutes after the takeoff.
The crew members alerted the Air Traffic Controller and a full-scale emergency was declared. Soon after the emergency landing at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, the fire was extinguished. “On May 18, 2024, IX 1132 from Bengaluru to Kochi made an emergency landing at BLR Airport at 2312 hrs, due to a reported fire in one of the engines,” a spokesperson of the BIAL, which manages KIA, said in a statement .

“The crew completed an evacuation with no injuries to any guests. We regret the inconvenience this has caused and are working to provide alternative arrangements for our guests to reach their destination as soon as possible,” the airlines said. “A thorough investigation with the regulator shall be completed to establish the cause,” it said.
(With PTI inputs)

All the Cruise Saudi prohibited goods: Alcohol, CDs, magazines and more

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All the Cruise Saudi prohibited goods: Alcohol, CDs, magazines and more

Passengers booking voyages on Saudi Arabia’s first cruise ship have been warned not to bring scissors, CDs or ‘magazines that violate public decency’ on board.

The vessel – which shares the name Aroya with the state-owned cruise line – is due to make its maiden voyage in December this year. Initially the ship will be sailing from its home port on the Red Sea, Jeddah, to Aqaba in Jordan and two Egyptian ports: Sharm el Sheikh on the Sinai Peninsula and Ain Sokhna, south of Suez.

Passengers are expected to comply with a long list of prohibited “dangerous goods, articles, and substances”.

Among them, “any substances that may affect mental health or similar items”. These include “alcoholic beverages of all types”.

The Saudi venture is believed to be the first cruise line on which the consumption of alcohol is not part of the voyage experience. Aroya will have an “exclusive VIP lounge and bar” that serves nothing stronger than coffee or fruit juice.

Other cruise firms are prohibited from serving alcohol while in Saudi ports or coastal waters. MSC Cruises says: “On respect to the Saudi law, alcohol will not be served during the calls in Saudi Arabian ports. Alcohol will be available to our guests when the ship sails in international waters.”

Yet strong drink is only one of dozens of items that are not allowed on board Aroya. Passengers are told: “Please review our Prohibited Items Policy before packing your bags to avoid any inconvenience during your journey.”

Some prohibited items are obvious: guns, ammunition and swords. Others are unlikely to be in the luggage of the average cruise passenger, such as soldering irons, tear gas and paint thinner.

At the foot of the rules is the heading: “Any additional items that may impact safety procedures, cause panic, or disrupt public decency.” These include:

  • Compact discs
  • Axes
  • Handcuffs
  • Magazines that violate public decency

Among other items on the prohibited list are natural ivory, drones, fishing nets and “sticks of all kinds and similar items, except those used for sanitary purposes such as toothbrushes”.

Prohibited “sharp objects” include scissors and open razor blades.

Many passengers may be alarmed to see that “devices that contain non-removable batteries” are prohibited. Mobile phones, tablets and laptops can all breach this rule.

A regular cruise holidaymaker, Richard Salkeld, said: “Increased choice has driven competition and enabled greater access to cruise holidays for many more people than ever before.

“However, holidays can be stressful enough when considering the planning and document requirements demanded by airports, airlines, destination countries and cruise companies.

“Therefore anything which reduces consumer choice and adds further complexity, challenges or restrictions to a cruise break could also significantly limit the appeal to prospective customers.”

While British cruise fans are welcome on board Aroya, the main aim is to cater for the nationals of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states. The company says: “Aroya Cruises aims to provide exceptional all-year-round experiences tailored to Saudi and GCC nationals and residents.”

Thirsty passengers will be able to drink beer ashore in both Egypt and Jordan during ports of call.

Lufthansa Group names new CFO

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Lufthansa Group names new CFO
Lufthansa Group names new CFO

Till Streichert will join the airline group in September

Lufthansa Group has appointed Till Streichert as chief financial officer. Streichert is currently the CFO at travel tech firm Amadeus and will assume his new role with the airline group on September 15 for a three-year term. He will also join the company’s executive board.

Prior to joining Amadeus in Madrid in 2020, Streichert held a range of executive and financial management positions for the likes of T-Mobile in the UK, the Boston Consulting Group, Vodafone Romania and Vodacom South Africa.

Lufthansa Group CEO and executive board chairman, Carsten Spohr, said Streichert’s “extensive expertise and experience” will make him “an excellent addition” to the group’s top management team.

Following the group’s recently announced Q1 losses, Spohr added that Streichert is “taking on a substantial responsibility at our company in what remain challenging times”.

Current Lufthansa Group CFO Remco Steenbergen departs on 7 May after more than three years overseeing the company’s financial division. His duties will be carried out by board member Michael Niggemann in the interim.