In the latest travel updates; all flights from Delhi Airport’s T2 terminal has been shifted to T1 from April 15, Air India introduces a digital tool to trace lost luggage, Air New Zealand and Air India enter into a new codeshare partnership, Air Astana commences non-stop flights between Almaty and Mumbai, Azerbaijan Airlines increases frequency between Mumbai and Baku to daily from June 15, U.S. Embassy introduces a mandatory gap of 72-hours between biometric and visa interviews, Thailand introduces a mandatory digital arrival card from May 01. These and more updates in the April edition.

International passengers to shell out more at Delhi airport from April 16:

International passengers will have to shell out more for flying out of Delhi airport starting April 16, as the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) has approved higher and variable user development fees (UDF) for economy and business class passengers. The UDF will be increased from Rs 145 to Rs 360 per passenger from April 16.

Currently, UDF charges are uniform for both domestic and international travellers. Recognising that domestic travellers make up 80 per cent of the total traffic at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), AERA has decided to keep the UDF for domestic passengers unchanged at Rs 129.

Delhi Airport’s T2 terminal to shut for maintenance from April 15:

Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI airport) announced that all flights from Delhi Airport’s Terminal 2 will shift to Terminal 1 from April 15 onwards due to maintenance work that includes essential runway upgrades. So Terminal 2 will remain non-operational during this period. In light of this update, airlines including Indigo and Air India have issued travel advisories to inform passengers of changes in the flight operations from T2 to T1.

Air New Zealand and Air India enter into a new codeshare partnership:

Star Alliance partners Air New Zealand and Air India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the objective of boosting air connectivity between India and New Zealand. The MoU includes the establishment of a new codeshare partnership on 16 routes between India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand, conferring travellers more choice and convenient access between the two countries.

Travellers will now be able to travel from the Indian cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai on Air India, and connect at Sydney, Melbourne or Singapore onto Air New Zealand-operated flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown.

Air India introduces digital tool to trace lost luggage:

Air India has introduced a new digital capability allowing passengers to share the location of their misplaced checked-in baggage using Apple’s AirTag feature, becoming the first airline in Asia to implement this functionality.

The integration is intended to support faster recovery of lost luggage by enabling customers with Apple devices to transmit real-time AirTag location data to Air India’s baggage support system. The airline carries over 100 million items of baggage annually, with more than 99.6% arriving on time. For the remaining instances, often caused by airport system errors or flight misconnection, the new feature offers a practical way to trace and recover missing bags.

Pakistan airspace closure: Indian carriers re-routing flights & evaluating fuel halts

Due to the closure of Pakistan airspace, around 50 international routes operated by Indigo will require longer flying time and maybe subject to slight schedule adjustments. Since Almaty and Tashkent are outside the operational range of the re-routing, Indigo has suspended flights from Delhi to Tashkent and Almaty from April 27 till May 07 atleast. Air India officials say the impact on their flights has been minimal.

Air Astana commences non-stop flights between Almaty and Mumbai

Air Astana has officially launched its first-ever non-stop flight service connecting Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, with Mumbai, India’s financial capital. Operated using the airline’s Airbus A320 aircraft, the route marks a significant milestone in strengthening air connectivity between Central Asia and India. This launch also coincides with the airline’s 20th anniversary in India, celebrating two decades of bridging people, cultures, and commerce.

The four times a week service starts from April 22 with the following schedule:

Azerbaijan Airlines increases frequency between Mumbai and Baku

With the growing popularity of Baku as an incentive & family holiday destination, Azerbaijan Airlines will increase the frequency between Mumbai and Baku to daily from June 15 with the following schedule:

IndiGo announces direct flights from Mumbai and Kannur to Fujairah effective May 15

IndiGo has announced the launch of direct flights to Fujairah from Mumbai and Kannur, further strengthening its international footprint and reinforcing its strategic growth plan. With this addition, Fujairah becomes IndiGo’s 41st international destination and the fifth destination in the UAE, after Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah.

The daily flights will commence from May 15 with the following schedule:

Air India Express commences flights from North Goa

Air India Express has expanded its operations in Goa with the launch of services from Manohar International Airport (GOX) in North Goa, starting April 15, 2025. This strategic move complements the airline’s existing network at Goa International Airport (GOI) in South Goa and strengthens its footprint across the state. With this dual-airport strategy, Air India Express now operates over 115 weekly flights to and from Goa - 75 from GOI and more than 40 from GOX.

IndiGo to introduce IndiGoStretch on Bengaluru - Mumbai route from May 1

IndiGo is set to introduce its tailor-made business product - IndiGoStretch - on flights operating between Bengaluru and Mumbai, starting May 01, 2025. IndiGo currently offers IndiGoStretch on flights connecting Delhi to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad on the domestic network. Internationally, IndiGoStretch is available on the Delhi-Bangkok-Delhi route.

The convenience of IndiGoStretch begins with select flights on the Mumbai - Bengaluru route from May 1 and will be gradually expanded to more flights on the route by May 30, 2025.

New rule implemented by the U.S Embassy in India regarding visa appointments

As per the latest guidelines issued by the U.S. Embassy, a minimum gap of 72 hours (i.e. 3 days) between the Biometric appointment and the Visa interview has now been made mandatory for all applicants across all categories. Due to this new rule, back-to-back appointments (Biometrics and Interview on consecutive days) will no longer be available. This change applies to all new bookings going forward.

For those who have already scheduled their appointments, please verify your appointment dates. If there is a 2-3 day gap between your Biometric and Interview appointments, you do not need to reschedule - your appointments are valid and will be honoured as per the new rule.

Saudi Arabia bans visas for 14 countries including India

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has imposed new travel restrictions, suspending the issuance of certain visas to people of 14 countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan and India, as per reports. The restriction is basically a temporary suspension on the issuance of Umrah, business, and family visit visas for citizens of 14 countries, including India till mid-June 2025, aligning with the conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage.

The suspension does not impact pilgrims from India who are travelling to Saudi Arabia strictly for Hajj and have secured Hajj visas. Pilgrims holding valid Hajj permits or intending to procure one will be allowed to enter Mecca and Medine and participate in the pilgrimage as planned. The suspension specifically targets other visa categories to prevent unauthorised individuals from performing Hajj without proper registration and avoid overcrowding

Australia, UK hike visa fees by up to 13% for Indians

In a significant move, the UK and Australia have announced a rise in visa fees by up to 13 per cent for Indian nationals, effective from April 2025. This change includes several visa categories, including student, work, and visitor visas, with a notable impact on those seeking educational and employment opportunities abroad.

Thailand makes digital arrival card mandatory for international visitors from May 01

Starting May 01, 2025, Thailand will implement a significant change to its entry process by requiring all foreign travellers to complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before their arrival to Thailand. The new digital system, replacing the old paper-based TM6 form, applies to all non-Thai nationals entering by air, land, or sea-including visa-exempt and visa required visitors.

The move aims to streamline immigration checks, reduce processing times, and enhance border security. The TDAC must be submitted online within 72 hours before travel through the official portal (https://tdac.immigration.go.th). Travellers will receive a confirmation email which they are expected to present at the immigration counter along with their travel documents.