In this month’s travel updates: Akasa Air to launch direct flights from Mumbai and Bengaluru to Phuket from next month; Air India to launch direct service from Delhi to Manila from Oct 01; Air India and Korean Air to increase frequency between Delhi and Seoul to 5 times a week from Oct; Aegean Airlines to debut in India in the first quarter of 2026 with direct flights between Athens and Mumbai and Delhi; KLM announces non-stop flights from Hyderabad to Amsterdam from Sep 02. These and more updates in the August edition.

Aegean Airlines to launch direct flights between Athens and Delhi & Mumbai in 2026:

Aegean will make its debut in the Indian market in the first quarter of 2026 with direct flight operations from Mumbai and Delhi to Athens. The airline will shortly induct two new Airbus A321neo XLR aircrafts that will be deployed on the route and open opportunities for additional long-haul connections.

The official flight schedule will be announced by end of September 2025 when ticket sales will also commence. Aegean plans to begin with five weekly flights from New Delhi to Athens in March 2026, followed by launch of three weekly flights from Mumbai in May 2026.

Air India to stop Delhi-Washington DC direct flights from September 01, 2025:

To manage the temporary shortage caused by Air India sending 26 Boeing 787-8 planes for retrofitting, the airline has announced the suspension of its non-stop flights between Delhi to Washington D.C from September 01, 2025. Passengers booked on the said route beyond September 01 will be contacted for rebooking or offered full refunds.

The retrofit program which in layman’s terms is to install new or modified equipment in the airplane for better functionality and improving the onboard experience. Air India will continue to offer one-stop connections to Washington via New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco through partnerships with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Airlines.

Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia expand their commercial cooperation:

In the joint press release earlier this month, Singapore Airlines and Garuda Indonesia announced the strengthening of their long-standing commercial cooperation with the launch of joint sales of their fare products, additional codeshare destinations and reciprocal lounge access.

The two carriers will expand their codeshare arrangement to offer customers more travel options between Indonesia and Singapore, and beyond. Garuda Indonesia customers will gain access to four additional Singapore Airline destinations - Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi in India along with Male in Maldives. Singapore Airlines customers will be able to connect popular flights from Denpasar to Labuan Bajo as well as Jakarta to Labuan Bajo, Lombok, and Manado. Customers will also continue to enjoy existing codeshare options on flights offered by both the airlines.

Use of power banks prohibited by Emirates onboard all flights:

Following a comprehensive safety review, all Emirates flights from October 01, 2025 onwards will prohibit the use of any type of power bank onboard. This decision was taken considering the sharp increase in incidents linked to lithium batteries across the aviation sector, driven by a rise in passenger usage of portable chargers.

While customers will still be permitted to carry one power bank onboard under specific conditions, the devices may no longer be used to charge personal electronics nor be charged themselves using aircraft’s power supply during the flight.

Akasa Air to launch direct flights to Phuket from Mumbai and Bengaluru:

Akasa Air will begin daily direct flights between Mumbai and Phuket from September 20 and from Bengaluru to Phuket from October 01, 2025. This marks the entry of the airline in Southeast Asia with Phuket being the airline’s sixth international destination. The schedule of the flights is as follows:

Air India announces direct flights between Delhi and Manila from October:

Air India has announced the launch of non-stop flights between Delhi and Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, starting October 01, 2025. With the launch of this new route, Air India becomes the only carrier to operate non-stop flights between India and the Philippines, offering seamless connectivity through its Delhi hub and boosting tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges between the two countries. The Philippines recently introduced visa-free entry for Indian tourists for up to 14 days.

Air India’s service to Manila will operate five days a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays - using the airline’s Airbus A321neo aircraft, featuring a three-class cabin configuration that offers the choice of Business Class, Premium Economy Class, and Economy Class to travellers.

The schedule of the 5X service starting from October 01, 2025 is as follows:

Air India to increase frequency between Delhi and Seoul to five times a week from Oct 02:

Starting from October 02, 2025, Air India will increase its frequency on the Delhi - Seoul route to 5 times a week operating a Boeing 787-8 aircraft with a 2-cabin configuration. The schedule of the flight operation is as follows:

In addition, Korean Air has also announced an increase in frequency from 3 flights per week to 5 flights per week from Oct 26, 2025 as per the schedule below:

KLM announces non-stop flights between Hyderabad and Amsterdam:

Beginning September 02, 2025, KLM will start thrice-a-week direct flights between Hyderabad and Amsterdam on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday using a Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. The schedule of the new operation is as follows:

This new service will make Hyderabad the airline’s fourth gateway in India, joining Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai in providing direct flights to Amsterdam and connections beyond. This route will be operated year-around, strengthening KLM’s commitment to the growing demand for international travel from India.

Indigo stretching new horizons - enhanced comfort now on more international routes:

Indigo Stretch, the premium Stretch cabin is now available on select international routes, offering passengers extra legroom, enhanced comfort and a truly elevated flying experience aboard the narrow body dual-class fleet.:

• Mumbai - Bangkok - Mumbai (BOM-BKK-BOM)
  Effective 25th July 2025
• Mumbai - Singapore - Mumbai (BOM-SIN-BOM)
  Effective 9th August 2025
• Delhi - Singapore - Delhi (DEL-SIN-DEL)
  Effective 9th August 2025
• Delhi - Dubai - Delhi (DEL-DXB-DEL)
  Effective 30th August 2025
• Mumbai - Dubai - Mumbai (BOM-DXB-BOM)
  Effective 3rd September 2025

Some of the features for the Stretch cabin include: envelope ears for privacy, 6-way adjustable headrest with neck support, 12cm (5”) deep recline, 96 cm (38”) of legroom to stretch, 54 cm (21.3”) wide seats and more advantages that redefines comfort and gives a smooth travel experience.

Our entire team came together during the August 02 & 03 weekend for the much-anticipated annual offsite at a serene resort in Mulshi. From high-energy rounds of Lagori, Dog in the Bone, and Dodgeball to indoor matches of Carrom, Table Tennis, Pool, and Othello - the Odyssey Premier League was the perfect blend of nostalgia and friendly competition.

As the sun set, we celebrated the end of a busy summer season with music, dance, and a memorable birthday surprise.

More than just a weekend away, it was a powerful reminder of what makes Odyssey special - collaboration, connection, and camaraderie.