In major news since our last update: Swiss Airlines extends the additional direct flight between Delhi and Zurich till Oct 24; Air India to deploy a new B787-9 on the Delhi - Toronto route from Aug 01 and resume daily flights; Emirates to offer Premium Economy services from six Indian cities by end of Oct; European Airlines to avoid Iran, Iraq and Lebanon airspaces until August 31 thereby increasing flying time to India; IndiGo launches 'Lite' fare for cabin baggage-only travellers; Thailand approves 30-day visa exemption for Indian travellers. These and more updates in our July edition.

EU aviation agency tells operators to avoid Iran, Iraq and Lebanon airspaces until August 31:

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has advised European airlines to not operate within the airspace of Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, amid ongoing tensions and the potential for further military action, as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fresh attacks in the last two weeks. The EASA said its bulletin for the airspaces of Iran, Iraq and Lebanon was valid ⁠until August 31.

European carriers like Air France & Lufthansa that connect their hubs in Europe with major Indian cities are following EASA’s advice which has resulted in longer flying times between 45 minutes to 1 hour between Europe and India. Travellers are advised to plan their onward connections taking the additional flying time into account.

India to issue only digital OCI cards, eliminates renewals:

Effective July 08, 2026, the government has transitioned to issuing only digital OCI cards (e-OCI) for all fresh applications. While the initial registration steps remain unchanged, you can now simply generate and save a digital version to your device. This e-card, presented alongside your passport, is sufficient for verification at airlines and Immigration Check Posts. Physical OCI card also continues to be valid for travel.

For new applicants who shall only be issued digital OCI Cards, downloading them is a must as they will not have any physical card.

The e-OCI Card is part of reforms initiated lately. Other reforms include card-holders no longer needing to renew their cards in certain circumstances, such as obtaining a new passport after 20 or 50 years of age or getting personal details updated (such as name, nationality, or gender). Instead of renewal, they can just update the status online.

The first international flight takes off from NMIA to Abu Dhabi on July 15:

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has officially commenced international operations on July 15 with its direct Air India Express flights to Abu Dhabi boosting connectivity for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

The airline’s direct service between Navi Mumbai and Abu Dhabi began with 2 weekly flights on Wednesdays and Fridays. From July 29, the schedule expands to three weekly flights, with an additional Sunday service.

While Abu Dhabi is the first overseas destination from the airport, more routes are expected to follow.

Air India selects new JFK terminal 6 for future operations:

Air India has announced that it will move its operations at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to the new Terminal 6 (T6) from 2028, aligning its services with several Star Alliance partner airlines and expanding its premium ground experience in North America.

The announcement was made jointly by JFK Millennium Partners (JMP), the developer and operator of Terminal 6, and Air India. The airline will join 15 other international carriers that have committed to operating from the new terminal, including Star Alliance members Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and TAP Air Portugal.

The move will enable smoother same-terminal connections for Air India passengers travelling onwards through the airline's codeshare and interline partnerships across the Americas.

Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport at Bhogapuram to be inaugurated on August 01:

Visakhapatnam is all set to get a new international airport! Developed by GMR, the greenfield facility has secured all key regulatory approvals and is expected to strengthen passenger connectivity, cargo movement and economic growth across North Coastal Andhra.

The airport has been developed with an initial capacity of six million passengers per annum (MPPA), with provisions to expand beyond 40 MPPA in subsequent phases. It features a 3,800-metre Code 4E runway, an integrated passenger terminal, dedicated cargo facilities and airside infrastructure designed to support both domestic and international operations.

Located at Bhogapuram near Visakhapatnam, the airport will serve as the primary aviation gateway for Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and adjoining districts of southern Odisha and Chhattisgarh. It is expected to improve domestic and international air connectivity while supporting the growth of the Visakhapatnam Economic Region through increased tourism, trade, logistics and industrial activity.

IndiGo launches 'Lite' fare for cabin baggage-only travellers:

IndiGo has launched 'IndiGo Lite', a new entry-level Economy Class fare aimed at passengers travelling with cabin baggage only, expanding its portfolio of fare options to cater to evolving customer preferences. This new fare category will be applicable for travel from July 15, 2026 on domestic and international non-stop flights for one-way, round-trip and multi-city itineraries, and applies to both adult and child passengers.

The new fare is designed for travellers who do not require checked baggage, allowing them to pay only for the services they use. Customers booking IndiGo Lite receive an auto-assigned seat and a cabin baggage allowance of up to 7 kg.

Additional services, including checked baggage, preferred seating, meals and priority airport services such as Fast Forward, can be purchased separately up to one hour before departure through authorised booking channels or at the airport.

Passengers travelling under the Lite fare will also continue to earn and redeem IndiGo BluChip loyalty points, ensuring the airline's rewards programme remains available across all fare categories.

Swiss Airlines extends the additional direct connection between Delhi and Zurich till Oct:

Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, and the continuous demand for direct flights between India and Switzerland, SWISS has further extended the additional direct connection between Delhi and Zurich until Oct 24, 2026, i.e, the end of this year's summer schedule.

Travellers can therefore continue to avail the additional direct connection between Delhi and Zurich onboard an Airbus A330 with the following flight schedule:

This flight will operate in tandem with the regular scheduled SWISS flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Zurich and back.

Air India to deploy new B787-9 on the Delhi - Toronto route from August 01:

Air India announced a significant upgrade to its Delhi - Toronto service, with the deployment of its brand - new Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the route from August 01, 2026, enabling the airline to remove the fuel stop at Vienna enroute and operate the service non-stop.

By removing the fuel stop, the flying time from Delhi to Toronto will be reduced by nearly three hours, from the current 20 hours (including the fuel stop) to 17 hours. The return Toronto - Delhi service will continue to operate non-stop, with flying time of up to 16 hours.

The deployment of the new line-fit Boeing 787-9 aircraft, purpose-built for Air India, will make journeys between India and Canada faster and more convenient while bringing Air India's latest onboard product and premium travel experience to Canada for the first time.

From August 01 2026, Air India will operate daily flights between Delhi and Toronto, up from the current five weekly flights with the following schedule:

Emirates to deploy A380 on Delhi route, expand Premium Economy to six Indian cities:

Emirates will introduce its flagship Airbus A380 on the Delhi - Dubai route from October 25, making the national capital the third Indian gateway to be served by the double-decker aircraft after Mumbai and Bengaluru. Below is the flight schedule of the A380 service between Delhi and Dubai

The A380 will operate on flights EK512 / 513 in a four-class configuration and complement the deployment of retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft, also featuring Premium Economy cabins, on the airline's three other daily services to Delhi.

With the move, Emirates' Premium Economy product will be available on all flights between Delhi and Dubai. By the end of October, the airline will offer Premium Economy services from six Indian cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Kochi with 4 daily services from Delhi, 22 weekly from Mumbai, 9 weekly from Ahmedabad, 7 weekly from Bengaluru, 12 weekly flights from Kolkata and 2 weekly from Kochi.

South Africa enables online ETA to provide visa to Indian travellers in 48 hours

South Africa has introduced an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for eligible Indian travellers, enabling fully online applications with processing targeted within 24 to 48 hours. The digital system simplifies short-term leisure and work travel by replacing traditional visa processes, supporting multiple entries and strengthening convenience as South Africa looks to attract more visitors from the growing Indian outbound travel market.

The new digital system is designed for stays up to 90 days and replaces the conventional visa application process with a fully online platform. The ETA is digitally linked to the traveller’s passport, eliminating the need for a physical visa sticker while supporting multiple entries during the validity period.

The ETA is currently available for travellers arriving through O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport and Lanseria International Airport.

Thailand approves 30-day visa exemption for Indian travellers:

Thailand's Cabinet has approved revised visa measures that will grant Indian nationals a 30-day visa exemption, replacing the country's earlier 60-day visa exemption framework introduced in July 2024.

The new measures, announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), will come into effect after publication in the Royal Gazette. Until then, Indian travellers will continue to use the existing Visa on Arrival facility.

Under the revised policy, India will move from the Visa on Arrival category to the 30-day visa exemption list as part of Thailand's new "one country, one entry category" principle. The framework classifies eligible countries under one of three categories - 30-day visa exemption, 15-day visa exemption or Visa on Arrival.

Employee Incentive Travel Programmes:

Recognising milestones. Rewarding loyalty. A service designed for your people.

We work with our network of worldwide preferred partners to deliver curated Employee Gift Plans - travel experiences that celebrate service milestones and reward long-term loyalty. Whether it’s a staycation, weekend getaway or an all-inclusive leisure holiday in India or overseas to reward a 5, 10, 15 or 20 year milestone, each plan is thoughtfully structured, end-to-end managed, and fully customised to your HR goals.

Milestone Staycations - 5 / 7/ 10 / 15 / 20 Years of Service:

Gift employees a 1-night staycation for 2 at handpicked 4 and 5 star hotels across Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi NCR, Jaipur and Agra. Hotels include properties from Novotel, Radisson Blu, Lemon Tree, Fairfield by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton and more. Vouchers are fully managed: personalised, issued on time, and redeemable with a single call to our team.

What we offer your HR team:

• Custom milestone tiers - 5, 7, 10, 15, 20 years or any anniversary you define
• Curated hotel options - 4 and 5 star properties, matched to budget and brand
• Voucher management - issued, tracked and redeemed with zero administrative load on your team
• Dedicated point of contact - employees book directly with us, not through a third-party portal
• Fully customisable - destinations, hotel type preferences, validity periods, blackout dates and co-branding, all as per your brief

If you’d like to explore an Employee Incentive Programme for your organisation, please write to rutwik@uniglobeodysseytravel.com or call +91-20-66442922. We’ll be happy to share a sample programme structure and hotel options that fit your brief.

Search Flights Yourself - Instantly!

Live fares, real schedules, no waiting. Now available at flights.odysseytravels.net

We are pleased to announce the launch of a live flight search engine exclusively for our clients - a clean, fast tool that lets you look up airline schedules and current fares across all major carriers, for any route, before reaching out to us. No login. No clutter. Just accurate, real-time flight information exactly when you need it.

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