Travel & Leisure

Qatar announced on Wednesday it was scrapping visa requirements for visitors from 80 countries as it weathers a boycott by four Arab states and gears up to host the World Cup in 2022. Under the new policy announced by Qatar Airways and authorities, citizens of 33 mostly European countries can enter without a visa for 90 days in single or ... Read More »

NEW DELHI: Pakistan has announced new rules to tighten visa issuance – especially business and work visas – for Chinese nationals, reported Pakistani media. Pakistan’s interior ministry announced these new visa rules for those from China on Wednesday, a week after it said the two Chinese nationals recently killed in Balochistan were “preaching” Christianity illegally and in violation of their ... Read More »

The United States might ban laptops from aircraft cabins on all flights into and out of the country as part of a ramped-up effort to protect against potential security threats, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Sunday. In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” Kelly said the United States planned to “raise the bar” on airline security, including ... Read More »

MUMBAI: The future of the Mumbai-Madgaon double-decker hangs in balance with the impending introduction of hi-speed Tejas Express to Goa. While Railways sources indicated that the AC double-decker service to Goa, which is in operation for more than a year, may be discontinued, Central Railway (CR) officials declined to comment on Friday. Tejas Express will be flagged off from Mumbai ... Read More »

Rules for for a ‘no-fly list’ for unruly passengers in the aftermath of the debacle surrounding Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad, will be drafted today by the Centre. Ravindra Gaikwad assaulted an Air India staffer onboard a plane. The Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR) are being amended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to facilitate such a list, the ... Read More »

After two days of conflicting explanations, falling stock prices and worldwide outrage, United Airlines entered full mea culpa mode Tuesday, with its chief executive apologizing for the “horrific event” in which a passenger was dragged from a plane screaming after refusing a last-minute request to give up his seat to make room for a crew member. “It is never too ... Read More »

NEW DELHI: While the focus has been on the US, visas for IT professionals to work in Singapore have dropped “to a trickle”, prompting the government to put on hold the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) citing violation of the trade pact. With Indian companies being advised to hire local talent, they are looking at relocating some ... Read More »

Shiv Sena Member of Parliament, Ravindra Gaikwad, in the news for slapping an Air India employee with his slippers, may be permanently barred from flying on the country’s national carrier. The airline is mulling establishing a no-fly list of passengers with a history of bad behaviour while flying on Air India. The proposal to set up the list has reached ... Read More »