INDIA: Hotel Paraag Limited And InterContinental Hotels Group Sign Agreement For Two Hotels In Bangalore

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has entered into an agreement with Hotel Paraag Limited in Bangalore, for two hotels – the newly built InterContinental Bengaluru Whitefield and Crowne Plaza Bengaluru Raj Bhavan Road, which will be a conversion hotel.

This development will mark the debut of the globally renowned luxury brand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Bengaluru and expansion of IHG’s upscale brand, Crowne Plaza in the country.

The development marks the debut of the globally renowned luxury brand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in Bengaluru and expansion of IHG’s upscale brand, Crowne Plaza in the country. Both hotels are expected to be operational by Q1 2022 and will increase IHG’s system size in India by over 400 rooms.

Already under advance stages of construction, InterContinental Bengaluru Whitefield will feature 265 aesthetically designed rooms.

The luxury hotel will be will be centrally located in Whitefield. The hotel will offer unrivalled amenities including a large banqueting/meeting space and a large lawn.

Post extensive renovation and upgrades to the existing property, on opening in 2022, Crowne Plaza Bengaluru Raj Bhavan Road will boast of 140 well-designed rooms featuring modern amenities. The hotel will feature a large banquet/meeting space, a business centre, pool and other world class facilities.

Commenting on the announcement, Sudeep Jain, vice president, development, South West Asia (SWA), IHG said, We are delighted to partner with Hotel Paraag Limited to strengthen the presence of two of our globally renowned brands – InterContinental and Crowne Plaza in India.

This signing is a significant milestone for us as we debut our iconic brand, InterContinental in Bengaluru and mark the growth of the brand in SWA. This is our sixth InterContinental property, opened or signed in the region and the third in the country.

InterContinental has been receiving great response in the region and we are in a number of active discussions to further expand the brand footprint.

He added: Bengaluru serves as a host to many leading conferences and seminars attracting global business visitors in large numbers. We therefore see great potential in this market for our brand, Crowne Plaza which is known to offer business ready services to corporate guests and excellent MICE facilities.

With 11 open hotels in SWA and 7 in the pipeline, the brand is gaining popularity in the region and has proved to be a great choice for our guests and owners alike.

Ramesh Srinivas Jannu, managing director, Hotel Paraag Limited said, We are delighted to partner with IHG as they debut their iconic global brand, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts in the city and continue to strengthen the presence of Crowne Plaza, a well-received brand in the upscale segment.

Given the rising demand in the city for high quality hospitality from renowned brands, we see this partnership as a great opportunity to offer our guests quality experiences for various needs and occasions.

InterContinental Bengaluru Whitefield and Crowne Plaza Bengaluru Raj Bhavan Road will offer an excellent combination of strategic location and IHG’s signature hospitality.

We couldn’t be more confident of the success of these properties as we prepare to host our guests in the near future.


Tourism Observer

INDIA: Coimbatore Is The Manchester Of South India Or Pump City, Watch Out For Pickpockets

Coimbatore is a major industrial city in Tamil Nadu, often likened to being the Manchester or Detroit of Southern India. It's famous for the manufacture of motor pump sets and varied engineering goods.

Coimbatore is known for its various industries, engineering goods, textile mills, educational institutions, health care facilities, dry-hot weather, friendly culture and hospitality.

There is a significant minority of people from Northern and Western India in Coimbatore which gives it the local Indian-cosmopolitan outlook.

The Tamil spoken here is called Kongu Tamil. Other languages spoken include English, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada. Very friendly & courteous people in South India. During Summer (Feb-May) it is very hot, the rest of the year has a manageable hot climate throughout the year.

It's one of the upcoming Information Technology Hub with new initiatives from the State Govt. The locals claim they have the world's second tastiest water - Siruvani Water - after Nile, no official or scientific proof for this claim though. Coimbatore is an orthodox city.

It has developed in terms of wealth, however the general populace is still down to earth. People here don't have a flashy lifestyle, they are generally very content. Most of all the Coimbatoreans are known for the respect displayed in Tamil language towards everyone.

A major hub for manufacturing, education and healthcare in Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is among the fastest growing tier-II cities in India. It is also the 93rd fastest growing city in the world.

It houses more than 25,000 small, medium and large industries with the primary industries being engineering and textiles. Coimbatore is called the Manchester of South India due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields.

TIDEL Park Coimbatore in ELCOT SEZ was the first special economic zone (SEZ) set up in 2006. In 2010, Coimbatore ranked 15th in the list of most competitive by business environment among Indian cities.

Coimbatore also has a 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) trade fair ground, built in 1999 and is owned by CODISSIA.

Coimbatore region experienced a textile boom in the 1920s and 1930s. Though, Robert Stanes had established Coimbatore's first textile mills as early as the late 19th century, it was during this period that Coimbatore emerged as a prominent industrial centre.

In 2009 Coimbatore was home to around 15% of the cotton spinning capacity in India. Coimbatore has trade associations such as CODISSIA, COINDIA and COJEWEL representing the industries in the city.

Coimbatore houses a number of textile mills and is the base of textile research institutes like the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) and the South India Textile Research Institute (SITRA). Kovai Cora Cotton saree is a recognised Geographical Indication.

Coimbatore is the second largest producer of software in the state, next to capital Chennai. TIDEL Park Coimbatore and other Information technology parks in the city has aided in the growth of IT and Business process outsourcing industries in the city.

It is ranked at 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons. Software exports stood at 7.1 billion (US$100 million) for the financial year 2009–10 up 90% from the previous year. Coimbatore has a large and diversified manufacturing sector and a number of engineering colleges producing about 50,000 engineers annually.

Coimbatore is a major centre for the manufacture of automotive components in India with car manufacturers Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors sourcing up to 30%, of their automotive components from the city. G.D. Naidu developed India's first indigenous motor in 1937.

India's first indigenously developed diesel engine for cars was manufactured in the city in 1972. The city is also a major centre for small auto component makers catering to the automobile industry, from personal to commercial and farm vehicles.

The city contributes to about 75% of the 1 lakh total monthly output of wet grinders in India. The industry employs 70,000 people and had a yearly turnover of US$410 million in 2015. The term "Coimbatore Wet Grinder" has been given a Geographical indication.

Coimbatore is also referred to as - the Pump City - as it supplies nearly 50% of India's requirements of motors and pumps. The city is one of the largest exporters of jewellery renowned for diamond cutting, cast and machine made jewellery.

There are about 3,000 jewellery manufacturers employing over 40,000 goldsmiths.

Coimbatore has a large number of poultry farms and is a major producer of chicken eggs. The city contributes to nearly 95% of processed chicken meat exports.

Coimbatore has some of the country's oldest flour mills and these mills which cater to all the southern states, have a combined grinding capacity of more than 50,000 MT per month. The hospitality industry has seen a growth in the 21st century with new upscale hotels being set up.

Coimbatore is the largest non-metro city for e-commerce in South India.

Coimbatore also known as Kovai, is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. Coimbatore is the second largest city by population and Area in the state, after Chennai and the 16th largest urban agglomeration in India.

It is administered by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation and is the administrative capital of Coimbatore district. It is one of the fastest growing tier-II cities in India and a major industrial hub in South India.

It is often referred to as the Manchester of South India due to its cotton production and textile industries. Coimbatore is also referred to as the Pump City and it supplies nearly half of India's requirements of motors and pumps.

The city is one of the largest exporters of jewellery, wet grinders, poultry and auto components; the Coimbatore Wet Grinder and the Kovai Cora Cotton are recognised as Geographical Indications by the Government of India. Coimbatore is also an hub for education.

Coimbatore was part of Kongu Nadu during the Sangam period between c. 1st and the 4th centuries CE and was ruled by the Cheras as it served as the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west coast and Tamil Nadu.

Coimbatore was located along the ancient trade route that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu in South India. The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE.

The region was ruled by Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century followed by the Nayaks who introduced the Palayakkarar system under which Kongu Nadu region was divided into 24 Palayams.

In the later part of the 18th century, the Coimbatore region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and following the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799.

The Coimbatore region played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War (1801) when it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai.

In 1804, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866 it was accorded municipality status with Robert Stanes as its chairman. November 24 is being observed as Coimbatore Day, say those familiar with the history of Coimbatore.

The city experienced a textile boom in the early 19th century due to the decline of the cotton industry in Mumbai. Post independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation. Coimbatore was ranked the best emerging city in India by India Today in the 2014 annual Indian city survey.

The city was ranked fourth among Indian cities in investment climate by Confederation of Indian Industry and 17th among the top global outsourcing cities by Tholons.

Coimbatore has been selected as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Coimbatore was rated as the safest city in India for women according to National Crime Records Bureau report in 2015

Coimbatore lies at 11°1′6″N 76°58′21″E in south India at 411 metres (1349 ft) above sea level on the banks of the Noyyal River, in southwestern Tamil Nadu. It covers an area of 642.12 km2 (247.92 sq mi).

It is surrounded by the Western Ghats mountain range to the West and the North, with reserve forests of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve on the northern side. The Noyyal River forms the southern boundary of the city, which has an extensive tank system fed by the river and rainwater.

The eight major tanks and wetland areas of Coimbatore are namely, Singanallur, Valankulam, Ukkadam Periyakulam, Selvampathy, Narasampathi, Krishnampathi, Selvachinthamani, and Kumaraswami. Multiple streams drain the waste water from the city.

The city is divided into two distinctive geographic regions: the dry eastern side which includes majority of the urban area of the city and the western region which borders the Nilgiris, Anaimalai and Munnar ranges.

Palghat Gap, a mountain pass which connects the neighbouring state of Kerala to Tamil Nadu, lies to the west of the city. Because of its location in the biodiversity hotspot of the Western Ghats, it is rich in fauna and flora.

The Coimbatore urban wetlands harbours around 116 species of birds, of which 66 are resident, 17 are migratory and 33 are local migrants. The spot-billed pelican, painted stork, openbill stork, ibis, spot-billed duck, teal and black-winged stilt visit the Coimbatore wetlands on their migration.

Apart from the species common to the plains, various threatened and endangered species such as Indian elephants, wild boars, leopards, Bengal tigers, gaurs, Nilgiri tahr, sloth bear and black-headed oriole are found in the region.

The northern part of the city has a rich tropical evergreen forest with commercially significant trees such as teak, sandalwood, rosewood and bamboo. The soil is predominantly black, which is suitable for cotton cultivation, but some red loamy soil is also found.

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, Coimbatore falls under the Class III/IV Seismic Zone, having experienced an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale on February 8, 1900.

Coimbatore has a pleasant climate due to the presence of forests to the north and the cool winds blowing through the Palghat gap in the Western Ghats.

The city has a tropical wet and dry climate, with a wet season lasting from September to November due to the northeast monsoon. The mean maximum temperature ranges from 35.9 °C (97 °F) to 29.2 °C (85 °F) and the mean minimum temperature ranges from 24.5 °C (76 °F) to 19.8 °C (68 °F).

The highest temperature ever recorded is 40.4 °C (105 °F) on May 5, 1983 while the lowest is 9.7 °C (49 °F) on January 8, 1912.

Due to the south-west monsoon winds passing through the Palghat gap, elevated regions of the city receive rainfall in the months from June to August. After a warm and humid September, the north-east monsoon starts from October lasting until early November.

The average annual rainfall is around 700 mm (27.6 in) with the northeast and the southwest monsoons contributing to 47% and 28% respectively to the total rainfall.

This periodic rainfall does not satisfy the city's water requirements throughout the year and water supply schemes like Siruvani and Pilloor maintain its availability during low rainfall months.

The summer season starts in mid March to early April, with temperatures noticeably rising during late March. It is at its peak during April and May, and subsides during late May or the start of June as the Southwest Monsoon sets in.

The winter season emerges during late November, with the weather getting drier and colder. The peak of this season starts after the December Solstice and lasts up to mid-January, i.e, the festival of Pongal in Tamilnadu, elsewhere known as Makar Sankranti and other names.

Temperature lows drop below 15 degrees Celsius during this period. After this, temperatures gradually rise until late February before the day becomes considerably hotter with rises of nearly 3 degrees Celsius found during this period as summer sets in.

The population of the urban agglomeration as per 2011 census is 2,136,916 with males constituting 50.08% of the population and females 49.92%.

Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 89.23%, higher than the national average of 74.04%. Male literacy is 93.17% and female literacy is 85.3% with 8.9% of the population under six years of age.

The sex ratio was 964 females per 1000 males. In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 265.9 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. It ranked 21st among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes.

In 2011, the population density in the city was 10,052 per km2 (26,035 per mi2). Around 8% of the city's population lives in slums.

Coimbatore and its people have a reputation for entrepreneurship. Though it is generally considered a traditional city, Coimbatore is diverse and cosmopolitan. The World Classical Tamil Conference 2010 was held in Coimbatore. The heavy industrialisation of the city has also resulted in the growth of trade unions.

Tamil is the official language and Kongu Tamil also called Kangee or Kongalam, a dialect, is predominantly spoken. Coimbatore also has a significant number of Kannadigas, Telugus, Malayalis and North Indians, mainly Gujaratis.

As per the 2001 census, the number of speakers by native language are as follows : Tamil (707,263) followed by Telugu (125,616), Malayalam (46,645) and Kannada (30,195).

During the 1970s the city witnessed a population explosion as a result of migration fuelled by increased economic growth and job opportunities.

The city's population is predominantly Hindu with minority Muslim and Christian population. Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists are also present in small numbers.

According to the religious census of 2011, Coimbatore has 83.31% Hindus, 8.63% Muslims, 7.53% Christians, 0.28% Jains, 0.05% Sikhs, 0.02% Buddhists and 0.01% Others. 0.17% of the respondents did not state their religion.

The Mariamman festivals at the city's numerous Mariamman temples are major events in summer. Major Hindu temples in the city include the Perur Patteeswarar Temple, Naga Sai Mandir, Koniamman Temple, Thandu Mariamman Temple, Eachanari Vinayagar Temple, Karamadai Ranganathaswamy Temple, Marudamalai Murugan Temple, Loga Nayaga Shaniswara Temple, Ashtamsa Varadha Anjaneyar Temple, Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple and the 112-foot Adiyogi Shiva statue which is the world's tallest bust of Lord Shiva.

The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the 18th century CE. Christian missions date back to the 17th century when permission was granted by the Nayak rulers to set up churches in the region. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain temples are also present in Coimbatore.

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. Most local restaurants still retain their rural flavor, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf.

Eating on a banana leaf is an old custom and imparts a unique flavor to the food and is considered healthy. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Idly, dosa, paniyaram and appam are popular dishes.

Coimbatore has an active street food culture and various cuisine options for dining. Arisi Paruppu Sadam, made from a mixture of dal and rice is a recipe that existed from fourth century AD and unique to the area.

Kaalaan is a popular dish prepared by simmering deep fried mushrooms - usually chopped mushroom in a spicy broth, until it reaches a porridge like consistency and served sprinkled with chopped onions and coriander leaves.

Swamikannu Vincent, who had built the first cinema of south India in Coimbatore, introduced the concept of Tent Cinema in which a tent was erected on an open land to screen the films. Central Studios was set up in 1935 while S. M. Sriramulu Naidu established Pakshiraja Studios in 1945.

The city conducts its own music festival every year. Art, dance and music concerts are held annually during the months of September and December, Tamil calendar month – Margazhi.

Coimbatore also houses a number of museums and art galleries like G.D. Naidu Museum & Industrial Exhibition, H A Gass Forest Museum, Government Museum, Kadhi Gandhi Gallery and Kasthuri Srinivasan Art Gallery and Textile Museum.

The city is served by the Coimbatore International Airport at Peelamedu 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city centre. The airport commenced operations in 1940 as a civil aerodrome with Indian Airlines operating Fokker F27, Douglas DC-3 and later Hawker Siddeley HS 748 aircraft.

The then Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh declared the government's intention to upgrade the Coimbatore Airport to International status in a meeting with senior ministers on 6 June 2012 and it was granted the status of international airport by the Union Cabinet on 2 October 2012.

The airport is operated by Airports Authority of India and caters to domestic flights to major Indian cities and international flights to Sharjah, Singapore and Sri Lanka.

As of 2014-15, the airport was the 15th largest airport in India in terms of total aircraft movement, 18th largest in terms of passengers handled and 13th largest in terms of cargo handled.

It has a single runway, which is 9,760 feet (2,970 m) in length and is capable of handling large aircraft. Air Carnival, a private airline commenced its operations in 2016 with the Coimbatore International Airport as its hub.

Sulur Air Force Station, located at Kangayampalayam is an air base operated by the Indian Air Force and accommodates Antonov An-32 heavy air lifter aircraft, Mil Mi-8 transport helicopters and the HAL Dhruv helicopters of the Sarang helicopter display team.

The first squadron of ingeniously built HAL Tejas will be inducted at Sulur AFS and Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft will be stationed at the base by 2016.

Train service in Coimbatore started in 1861, upon the construction of the Podanur – Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India.

Coimbatore lies on the Coimbatore - Shoranur broad gauge railway line and the city falls under the Salem division of the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways.

The major railway station is the Coimbatore Junction which is the second-largest income generating station in the Southern Railway zone after Chennai Central and is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railways.

Other major railway stations catering to the city include Coimbatore North Junction, Podanur Junction and minor stations at Peelamedu, Singanallur, Irugur Junction, Perianaikanpalayam, Madukkarai, Somanur and Sulur.

In 2012, Coimbatore Municipal Corporation proposed three rail routes. The first circular route was planned to connect Gandhipuram with Ganapathy, Sivananda Colony, Sai Baba colony, RS Puram, Townhall and City Railway Station.

The second circular route will connect Podanur with Trichy Road, Sungam, Redfields, Race Course, City Railway Station and Ukkadam. A linear line was proposed from Chinniampalayam to TNAU via airport, CODISSIA, PSG Tech, Lakshmi Mills, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore North Junction and Cowley Brown Road.

Vadavalli and Thondamuthur were included in the linear line as part of the phase extension. In 2017, the government of Tamil Nadu announced that feasibility study for the metro will be conducted by Chennai Metro Rail corporation and will be funded partly by Germany.

There are six major arterial roads in the city: Avinashi road, Trichy road, Sathy road, Mettupalayam road, Palakkad road and Pollachi road. Coimbatore bypass is a series of bypasses connecting the various national highways and state highways passing through and originating from Coimbatore.

The first section of the bypass, a 28-kilometre (17 mi) stretch from Neelambur to Madukkarai on National Highway 544 opened for traffic in 2000.It was the first road privatisation project to be implemented on a build–operate–transfer model in South India.

In 2008, the State Highways department came up with a proposal to create a Ring road to help de-congest the main arterial roads and the 12 km road would extend from Peelamedu to Mettupalayam road.

In 2011, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu announced the construction of two new flyovers at Ukkadam and Athupalam to help de-congest the Palakkad Road. In 2012, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided in favour of an eastern road that connected Mettupalayam Road with Avinashi Road and the existing bypass.

The city municipal corporation is undertaking the construction of six rail-over-bridges in the city. There are five National Highways passing through the city:

Apart from State and National Highways, the city corporation maintains a 635.32 kilometres (394.77 miles) long road network.

Town buses started operating in 1921 and serve most parts of the city, as well as other towns and villages in the district. The number of inter-city routes operated by Coimbatore division is 119 with a fleet of more than 500 buses. It also operates town buses on 257 intra-city routes.

The intra-city buses operate from major bus stations in Gandhipuram Central Bus Terminus, Singanallur Bus Terminus, Ukkadam Bus Terminus and Saibaba Colony Bus Terminus to other parts across the city. From Coimbatore to salem has most number of buses are operated.

Inter-city and intra-city buses that connect Coimbatore operate from different bus stands

From Coimbatore to salem has most number of buses are operated. Coimbatore BRTS is a proposed bus rapid transit project under the JNNURM scheme of the Government of India. It is planned along a 27.6 kilometres (17.1 mi) stretch connecting Avinashi road and Mettupalayam road.

The city is also served by auto rickshaws and radio taxi services. Coimbatore has four Regional Transport Offices viz. TN 37 (South), TN 38 (North), TN 66 (Central), TN 99 (West).

Coimbatore is often referred to as the India's motorsports hub and the Backyard of Indian Motorsports. S.Karivardhan designed and built entry level race cars and the Kari Motor Speedway, a Formula 3 Category circuit is named after him.

Tyre manufacturer MRF assembles Formula Ford cars in Coimbatore in association with former F3 Champion J. Anand and racing company Super Speeds designs Formula cars. Rallying is another major event with rallies conducted in closed roads around Coimbatore.

Narain Karthikeyan, India's first Formula One driver hails from the city and other motorsport drivers from Coimbatore include J. Anand and V. R. Naren Kumar.

Nehru Stadium, built originally for football also hosts athletic meets. The stadium has been renovated with Korean grass for the field and a synthetic track around it for athletics.

Apart from the stadium, other sporting venues include the Coimbatore Golf Course, an 18-hole golf course and Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, which is more than 100 years old. Coimbatore Flying Club is located in the Coimbatore airport premises.

The city hosts its own annual marathon called Coimbatore Marathon as an event to raise cancer awareness. Retired tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan, who became the first Indian woman in the modern era to feature and win a round at a main draw Grand Slam in 1998 Australian Open hails from Coimbatore.

Coimbatore District Chess Association (CDCA), established in 1940 is the oldest chess association in the country.

There are several amusement parks around the city, namely: Black Thunder water theme park near Mettupalayam, Kovai Kondattam amusement park at Perur and Maharaja Theme Park at Nillambur.

Monkey Falls
Since the 1980s, the city has had a few small shopping complexes and major shopping malls include Prozone Mall, Brookefields Mall and Fun Republic Mall. The city also has a number of parks including the VOC park, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University park, Race Course Children's park and Bharathi park in Saibaba Colony.

Coimbatore Zoo houses a number of animals and birds and is located near VOC park. The grounds are used for conducting fairs and events including the annual Independence day and Republic day celebrations. Singanallur Lake is a popular tourist place and bird watcher destination.

Popular cinemas include KG Cinemas, The Cinema by SPI Cinemas, Cinepolis and INOX.

Air pollution, lack of proper waste management infrastructure and degradation of water bodies are the major environmental issues in Coimbatore. There is a sewage treatment plant at Ukkadam with the capacity to process 70 million litres of sewage water per day.

Garbage is collected by the corporation and sewage is pumped into the water tanks and the Noyyal river through streams. This along with garbage dumping and encroachments has led to degradation of the water bodies and depletion in the groundwater table.

The tanks are renovated by the city's environmental groups with their own fund-raising and the corporation. The corporation is responsible and involved in clearing encroachment of the tanks.

Siruthuli, an environmental organisation founded by the city's industrial houses, undertakes de-silting of tanks and cleaning of the Noyyal river. Environment Conservation Group based out of the city is also involved in conservation of trees and wetlands, monitoring wildlife crime and conducting awareness sessions for students.

Coimbatore has sister city relationship with Toledo, Ohio. The relation has enabled exchange in the fields of arts and education between the cities.

A twin city pact with the German city of Esslingen was signed in July 2016 with the relation enabling the cities to collaborate on areas of mutual interest, health, education, culture and social development

Tamil is the mother tongue of the natives. Picking up few words in Tamil would be helpful though many locals have a business knowledge of English. Telugu, Kannada, Urdu and Malayalam would qualify as the other languages. English is also widely spoken by many.

The city has six major arterial roads and three National Highways, NH-47 (Kanyakumari-Salem), NH-67 (Nagapattinam-Ooty) and NH-209 (Bangalore-Dindigul) passing through the city. The city has a civil airport at Peelamedu and an Airforce base at Sulur.

Broad Gauge trains connect to all parts of India. A by-pass tollway was built recently to avoid unnecessary traffic into the city.

Coimbatore Airport is approximately 7 kilometers from the center of the city, connections are mainly done with airport's own prepaid cabs. The airport currently has two operational terminals one for departure and one for arrival.

Coimbatore airport has regular flights from many Indian cities, and Flydubai has also started its operations from September 2009. Air Asia and Malindo Air has also expressed interest in introducing flights between Coimbatore and Kuala Lumpur.

Flights to Sharjah and Singapore is operational currently. Sharjah by Air Arabia, Singapore by Silk Air.

Domestic Flights

Air Costa

Bangalore, Hyderabad, Tirupati & Vijayawada

Air India

Calicut, Delhi & Mumbai

Jet Airways

Bangalore, Chennai & Mumbai

IndiGo

Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata & Mumbai

Spice Jet

Ahmedabad, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad & Mumbai

International Flights:

AirArabia

Sharjah

SilkAir

Singapore

Coimbatore Junction is well connected by trains from all major cities including Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calicut, Cochin, Chennai, Gorakhpur, Hyderabad, Kanyakumari,Tirunelveli, Jammu, Mumbai, New Delhi and Trivandrum.

- Other nearby train stations include Podanur Junction and Coimbatore North Junction.

- Southern Railway

- Indian Railway reservations

- Southern Railway

The State Transport Corporation and a lot of private buses operate from Coimbatore to major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Madurai, Tirunelveli and neighboring Kerala and Karnataka states.

There are lot of private cab services company which operate from Coimbatore to major cities in Tamil Nadu like Chennai, Madurai, Tirunelveli and neighboring Kerala and Karnataka states.

Getting around Coimbatore is easy. There are public transport buses, auto rickshaws and plenty of taxis available. Auto rickshaws can charge whatever they feel like, if they find that you are an outsider. Call taxis have a digital meter installed which will tell you the cost.

Dial any fancy number to get in touch with Call taxis. Minimum charge is Rs. 40/- .and 16/12 per KM for different operators There are many call taxi operators and you can get a number from your hotel, the railway station or airport.There are also several tour operators in Coimbatore who offer day return tours to ooty,isha etc.

Temples To Visit In Coimbatore:

- Anjeneyar Kovil:, Esso Bunk, Peelamedu. This Temple was recently constructed in one of the calmest localities.Offers great peace of mind and is open in the morning till 12.00PM and opens again from 5.00PM for public. Dont miss various alangaarams done for the God.

- Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple at the Isha Yoga Centre.

- Eachanaari Vinayaga Temple in Pollachi road.

- Marudhamalai Hill Temple, Anubhavi Subramniar temple which has a natural spring that spurts water throughout the year.

- Perur Pateeshwarar Temple a siva temple which is more than 1000 years old with wonderful sculptures.

- Asia's biggest statue of Lord Ganesha temple in Puliakulam.

- Velliengiri hills and temple is a famous temple with a long lasting history, which is also known south Kailash.

- Other temples are Ayappan Pooja Sangam in Ramnagar and Ayyappan temple in New Siddhapudur, Sringeri Saradha Koil, Shirdi Sai Baba temple in Saibaba colony, Koniamman temple and Ramar temple in Ramnagar near Gandhipuram bus stand.

- Isha Yoga Center's SHIVA TEMPLE - Worth visiting -20 km from city. The famous Palani temple devoted to Lord Muruga is 100 km from Coimbatore.

- Anubhavi Subramaniar Temple:, Chinna Thadagam. This temple has a natural outflow, which spouts water all through the year. For this reason, the temple is quite popularly known and people never fail to make their visit. There must be 100s of steps to get to the temple, and no mechanical help available.

This place is frequented by elephants and hence do not plan to visit the temple during evening hours. Don't forget to visit the Lalithambikai temple situated at its foothills.

- Marudhamalai Murugan Temple, Arulmigu Subramaniyaswamy Thirukoil. A huge temple complex, at least 1200 years old, located on a picturesque hill, you should not miss it.

Also you can go to Then Thiruppathi a nice place to visit with family which is located near mettupalayam.

More Attractions To Visit:

- Athar Jamaat Masjid, (Located in Big bazaar street). A famous 100 years old Masjid

G.D.Naidu Car Museum, #734 President Hall, Avinashi Road, Coimbatore - Located on Avinashi Road. Tuesday - Saturday - 9.00am to 5.00pm / Sunday - 10.00am to 6.00pm / Monday and Public Holiday - Closed.

A must visit for all science history enthusiasts. Interesting collection of inventions by G.D.Naidu who is also referred as Edison of India. Interesting science experiments. One can also see the history of Industrialisation in Coimbatore.

Also on display an old motor bike which G.D.Naidu learned to assemble from an British officer after which he interested in engineering. A Germany Gift shop is attached with the museum where one can buy interesting Toys from Germany. Children will enjoy a lot. Entrance free.

Kovai kutraalam, Located. 10.00am to 3.30pm. It is a scenic spot with a waterfall originating on the Siruvani hill ranges.

There are three good water theme parks Black Thunder Near Ooty foot hills Kovai Kondattam enroute to Siruvani Dam and Maharaja Water Theme Park near Neelambur, Avinashi Road. The entry fees are 300 to 350 for adults , while children get a discount of Rs 50-100 per head.

Shopping in Coimbatore is concentrated in the areas of RS Puram, Cross-Cut Road and the Town Hall Area Oppanakara St, Big Bazaar St, Raja St.Coimbatore,known as the Manchester of South India,is famous for textiles.

Visitors to Coimbatore must not miss the dazzling array of shops selling Kanchivaram, Benares and designer sarees at Cross-Cut Road. Coimbatore is also known for its numerous jewelry stores situated along Cross-Cut Road and Town Hall Area.

Leading global brands like Lee,Arrow,United Colors of Benetton, Levi’s Reebok, Adidas, Puma, Crocodile etc.,have retail outlets in D.B.Road. There are several huge textile showrooms in the city. RmKV,Pothys,The Chennai Silks, Shree Devi Textiles,Sri Ganapathy silks,Kalyan Sarees, Kalanikethan, Srinikethan etc.,that sell ethnic wear, catering to the needs of the entire family.

Sri Krishna Sweets, that specializes in Indian sweets,is famous for its Mysurpa, a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee.

BrookeFields in Brooke Bond road is a famous shopping mall which is equivalent to the malls in Bangalore, Dubai, etc..The mall Fun Republic adds more color to Coimbatore Shopping. You can get all Branded dress materials, Electronics, Duty Paid shops, etc..

ATMs are available in most parts of the city with most concentrated in the commercial areas like R.S.Puram,Trichy Road and Avanashi Road.

Nilgiris is South India’s leading chain of retail stores providing consumers a shopping experience that hinges around freshness of produce, superior quality and better value. They have an outlet in R.S. Puram and another at Trichy Road.

They stock most of the up-market food items like frozen and tinned foods, offering a wide range of grocery, general merchandise and personal care products.

They also stock gourmet cheeses like Gouda, Colby, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Havarti, Feta, Haloumi and Camembert made by Acres Wild Cheesemaking Farm which is located in Coonoor.

When you vist Coimbatore don't forget to taste the Food & Siruvani Water. Coimbatore is an ideal stop if you want to take some rest while on the way to Ooty, Bangalore or Kerala.

Don't forget to taste the best of South Indian Idlis, Dosas, Vada, Chutney and Vegetarian rice meal from the Annapoorna Chain of Veg Restaurants, Aaryaas Veg Restaurant and Non-vegetarian food from Kovai Biriyani Hotel, Angannan's, Anjappar, Sampoorna, Rayappas and Thalappas restaurants.

Try Krishna Sweets too, the sweets chain had their origins in this town. The strong influence of the west has prevailed and resulted in numerous coffee pubs and fast food outlets.

Chains like Subway,Domino's pizza,Pizza Hut,Baskin Robbins Ice cream,Marry Brown,Barista,Cafe Coffee Day,Boomerang etc., have made their presence felt among the city's elite and emerging middle class.

You can also try local online food apps such as foodkourt for the local cuisine and its delivered at your door step.

Hari Bavan, RTO Road & Gandhipuram 4th Street & SO Bunk, Peelamedu. Serves excellent non-veg varieties. the lunch with 4 types of gravy fish, mutton,chicken and Nattu Kolli gravy is famous. Dont forget to taste their karandi (omlet) and their side dish. Available only for lunch.

Ajmir, Near TownHall ManiKundu. Serves excellent mutton(Beaf) and chicken Dont forget to taste their mutta poriyal and chicken fry thats great. Not only for beef lovers for chicken lovers also this is a place to be.Great 250.

The Village, Near Gem Hospital or archana darchana theater GandhiPark, go via senthil hospital in gandhi park. only in evening and night. Serves a wide variety of dosas and sevai like chola, kambu, tomato, ragi, cauliflower, mushroom, babycorn, paneer dosai and seva.

Don't forget to order their muttai chappathi. It's delicious. 250 for 2.

Paati Amma Dosai Kadai, Near Gem Hospital or archana darchana theater GandhiPark go via senthil hospital in gandhi park. only in evening and night. Serves a wide variety of dosas and sevai like chola,kambu,tomato,ragi,cauliflower, mushroom,babycorn, panner dosai and seva.

Don't forget to order butter appam yummy .The place was so small but the taste was the best. 250 for 2.

Burma Bai Barotta Kadai, Nehru staduim Near Boomerang Ice cream. Only in the evening. Serves excellent non-veg varieties. their speciality is barotta that can be made crispy or softy depending upon the user wish.

Dont forget to order their pepper chicken and tomato chicken - This restaurant is closed now and a new restaurant named Madurai Amma Mess is functioning at this place. Not sure if this is the same famous Madurai Amma Mess or a local restaurant using the same name.

By the way, never felt Burma Bai Restaurant deserved to be given a thumbs-up though. The rates were too high and food quality very poor. No surprise that they have closed down 350 for two.

- China town, Nehru staduim in the road between the park gate. Only in the evening. Serves excellent chinese items like chilly pork, dragon chicken, and their lumpfu soup price 400 for two.

- Four season, Non sakthi highway at karattumedu. Only in the evening till 12 in night. Serves excellent veg and non veg items even u can geta beer there nice place for party guys. Dont forget to eat their kerala chicken, kudal. price 300 for two.

- Hotel Blue Berry (I), Opposite VLB Arts College, Kovaipudur. 8 AM to 10 PM. Specialist in Biriyani (Mutton, Chicken and Fish). Serves excellent varities of Non Veg curries. Takes function orders and entertains home deliveries. You will be addicted to their Chettinad and Chengudu Chicken. Price 200 for Two.

- Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has opened an outlet in R.S.Puram, Coimbatore - Seems to be a big hit amongst the locals here. Always crowded. Difficult to get in on the weekends. It has opened its other branches at Brooke Fields Mall and Avinashi Road also.

One can feel McDonald's (MAC) has opened a outlet in Fun Mall in Avinashi Road on August 13th. after seeing the response to KFC here in Coimbatore.

- Brookfields plaza, Brookbond road, R.S.Puram. has everything from dresses like Rmkv, lifestyle,Pantaloons,reliance Trends, Max to food like KFC, Subway, Baskin Robbins, etc.

- Dhabas. Dhabas are very famous in coimbatore, you can have a good variety of foods with the facility of attached bars. there are many dhabas in coimbatore. There was a dhaba near maharaja world and one near ramani's mayuri, chinnavedampatti.

These places were so peaceful and a good place for boys to have treats. Most of the bar have individual huts where it accommodates around 10 members. Its a best hangout place at nights.

- Seasons, under SKC, R S Puram. It is a place where you get good, healthy vegetarian stuff very cheaply. The good items here are corn and spinach sandwich and all fruit juices. It's usually crowded. The ice creams are so nice.

Sri Aishwarya Cars (Used Car Dealer), 280, Avinashi Main Road, Peelamedu, Coimbatore 641004. Near Varadharaja Mills. 09.00am-8.30pm. Dealing used cars in and around Coimbatore, and also provide Ads to sell cars for Free of cost with your Contact details.

You can get quality Pre Owned Cars for Best Price than any other Places in Coimbatore. Before Buy or Sell your Cars just Visit once to Sri Aishwarya cars, Coimbatore.

Artful Home, T10, Fun Republic Mall, Peelamedu. 10 am - 10 pm. Our home decor item includes wooden Ganesha , wooden handicrafts, ceramic products, warli art, rajasthani collections, wooden products, ceramic bowls and clocks. Rs.50 - Rs.5000.

The Siruvani water supplied in Coimbatore is said to be one of the tastiest waters in the world, in fact the second tastiest. Don't you ever resort to buying mineral water bottles when in Coimbatore. If so, you are going to miss something really good.

All liquor stores and Bars will be closed around 10P.M. So you need to plan early if you are partying. Coimbatore is not a party town, So you cannot find many Pubs or clubs in the City. Bars in upscale hotels in the city are always an option. Bike & Barrel at The Residency tends to be a popular choice

There are a lot of budget hotels near the railway station and bus stand with single room between 150-350/day.

- Hotel City Tower, 56 Sivasamy Road, ☎ 0422 2230641, [4]. standard A/C double room Rs.1250/- deluxe A/C double Rs.1500/.

- Dunag Springs Service Apartments (Dunag Springs), 12/24 Dunag Springs, Padmanabha Nagar, Civil Aerodrome, SITRA, Coimbatore - 200 Mtrs from Coimbatore Airport.

Dunag Springs Service Apartment , Coimbatore's Largest & Luxurious Hotel Apartment having 29 furnished apartments spread over 3 Locations at Airport, Nehru Nagar, Ramanathapuram in town on daily rental. Wifi enabled 25 Seater A/C Conference Hall & Gym Facility Available with In House Pantry Services. 1250 onwards.

- Kanimani lodge, 427, 100 Feet Road Gandhipuram Coimbatore opposite to karpagam complex. one of the best and cheapest lodge located near bus stand. well maintained and good service. located opposite to karpagam complex.just five minutes walk to cross cut road.

- Guestlines Service Apartments, Sivaram Nagar, Sungam bye pass road,Coimbatore. Guestlines Service Apartments has 15 fully furnished rooms with free wifi & gym. Guestlines is just about 1.5km from the coimbatore railway station.

- Hotel Prince Gardens, 28, Kalingarayan Street, Ramnagar, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore. Business Class Hotels Coimbatore: Book affordable rooms in Coimbatore at hotel Prince Gardens.

- Hotel Srri Aswini Deluxe, 6&7,Kalingarayan Street ,Ramnagar, Coimbatore.

- M,K, Residency (M.K. Homes India Ltd), 145,Gokhale St, Ram Nagar,Coimbatore-641 009 Near Senthil Kumaran Cinema Theatre. The M.K Residency operates similar to serviced apartment.

- Hive Service Apartments, 71-72, Hindustan Avenue, Udayampalayam Rd, Near Hindustan Arts College, Navaindia, Avinashi Rd, Coimbatore – 641028, Tamilnadu, INDIA. The apartments are enclosed in quiet environs with a subtle ambiance and an air of comfort and convenience.

Churches in Coimbatore are Infant Jesus Church in Kovaipudur, where devotees throng on Thursdays for attending the Noveena.St.Antony's Church in Puliakulam, where many devotees offered their prayers on every Tuesday, CSI Immanuel, Intouch Fellowship at the YWCA Hall.

Other places of worship include Kottai Hidayathul Islam Safia Jamath Mosque in Kottaimedu

Watch out for pickpockets at Ukkadam, Townhall,and Gandhipuram bus stands. While travelling on bus, keep your valuables safe. The police code is 100.

Coimbatore is surrounded by hill ranges and hence several picnic spots for one-day drive and back exist around Coimbatore.

Some of them are: Kovai Kutrallam water falls(45 km), Monkey falls(75 km), Athikadavu stream(40km), Kallar river banks(55 km), Topslip town(90 km), Malampuzha dam(60 km),Thirumurthy waterfalls(90 km), Dhyanalinga Yogic temple & Isha Yoga centre(35 km), Vellingiri hill temple(37 km), Marudhamali Hill Temple(20 km), Vydehi Water falls(35 km), Bhavani Sagar(55km), Kodiveri(75 km) etc.

Most of them are not very well known to outsiders and if you go on a working day , the tranquility would be an added advantage. And most of these roads are good, compared to Indian standards.

More good places to visit:

- See the tea plantations at Ooty or Munnar

- Topslip

- Waterfalls include Monkey falls on the way to Vaalpaarai hills, Kovai Kutralam near Siruvani. There are a few others on the way to Vaalpaarai and Ooty hills, and the Thirumoorthi falls near Udumalpet(65 Km).

- Hill stations are Ooty (80 km), Valparai near Pollachi having no of sight seeing and picnic spots, Kodaikanal (180 km).

- Sanctuaries are Mudumalai Wild Life Sanctuary(150 km), Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary(100 km), Top Slip.

- Crocodile Park in Amaravathi is near Udumalpet (65 km).

- Botanical Garden which is situated opposite to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, which is situated on the way to Marudhamalai temple.

- Silent Valley national park inside kerala is just one hour drive from coimbatore.


Tourism Observer

NEPAL: Hi Fly To Provide Nepal Airlines Two Airbus A330-200s

Nepal Airlines Corp. (NAC) will take delivery of the first of two Airbus A330-200s in June, in order to expand its international network following the acquisition of the two wide-body planes.

Portuguese wet-lease specialist, Hi Fly, will provide both airplanes, which are currently in final assembly stage in Toulouse, France.

The two A330-200s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, will feature a two-class cabin configuration that will seat a total of 274 passengers, respectively 18 in Business class and 256 Economy class.

Likewise, the 2-aisle cabin will have each seat equipped with RAVE Centric, the latest In-seat AVOD In-Flight Entertainment System.

According to NAC, it has signed a 12-year contract of total-care-package for the aircraft’s Rolls-Royce engines, including spare engines, if needed.

Nepal Airlines flies to eight international destinations from its main hub in Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), including Kathmandu to Doha (Qatar), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand) and Dubai as well to Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai (India).

Also, it operates domestic flights from its regional hubs at Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, and Pokhara.

As of January 2017, the oldest airline from Nepal manages a fleet of 12 aircraft, consisting of two Airbus A320-200s, one Boeing 757-200M, two Xian MA-60 used for regional flights, three de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, and four Harbin Y-12 only two used due to lack of pilot.


Tourism Observer

UAE: Etihad Refutes Plans To Sell Jet Airways Shares

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways has rejected claims that it will sell its 24 percent stake in Jet Airways by Q3 2019, calling the Indian airline a valuable partner.

The Etihad statement comes in response to a recent report from aviation consultancy CAPA, which on Thursday also tweeted that CAPA research indicates Etihad may divest its 24 percent stake in Jet Airways, possibly by Q3 of FY2019.

This could lead to a rationalisation of capacity between India and the Gulf, particularly Abu Dhabi, CAPA added. In response, Etihad said the CAPA report was false and said the airline has no plans to divest.

Additionally, Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal said in India that the airline has no plans to sell its stake to another investor, following a September 2017 statement squashing similar rumours.

Etihad’s investment with Jet dates back to April 2013, when the Abu Dhabi-based carrier made a $379 million investment in the company.

Etihad also invested $150 million and acquired a 50 percent stake in Jet’s frequent flying programme, Jet Privilege.

Jet Airways is a major Indian international airline based in Mumbai. In October 2017, it was the second-largest airline in India after IndiGo with an 17.8% passenger market share.

It operates over 300 flights daily to 68 destinations worldwide from its main hub at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and secondary hubs at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Chennai International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Incorporated in April 1992 as a limited liability company, the airline began operations as an air taxi operator in 1993. It began full-fledged operations in 1995 with international flights added in 2004.

The airline went public in 2005 and in 2007, it acquired Air Sahara. It became the largest carrier by passenger market share in the country by 2010, a position it held until 2012.

Jet Airways was incorporated as a limited liability company on 1 April 1992.It started operations as an air taxi operator on 5 May 1993 with a fleet of four leased Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

The airline was granted a scheduled airline status on 14 January 1995. On 12 May 1994, all the shares were transferred to Tailwinds International, whose equity capital was held by Naresh Goyal (60%), Gulf Air (20%) and Kuwait Airways (20%).

In October 1997, as per the directive of Ministry of Civil Aviation forbidding foreign investment in passenger airlines, Goyal took control of the entire company.

The airline launched its first international flight in March 2004 from Chennai to Colombo. The company was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and became public company on 28 December 2004, with Goyal retaining 51% ownership of the stock.


In January 2006,Jet Airways announced its intention to acquire Air Sahara for US$500 million in an all-cash deal; however, the deal fell through in June 2006.

On 12 April 2007, the deal was back on track with Jet Airways agreeing to pay 14.5 billion (US$220 million). On 16 April 2007, Air Sahara was renamed as JetLite and was marketed between a low-cost carrier and a full service airline.

JetLite became a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways. In August 2008, Jet Airways announced its plans to integrate JetLite into Jet Airways.

In October 2008, Jet Airways laid off 1,900 of its employees, who were later re-instated due to intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

In October 2008, Jet Airways entered into an alliance with rival Kingfisher Airlines for code-sharing on domestic and international flights, collaboration on frequent-flyer program and sharing crew and ground handling equipment.

On 8 May 2009, Jet Airways launched another low-cost brand, Jet Konnect. It operated a fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation and ATR 72 aircraft and operated on profitable short-haul routes with higher passenger load factors.

In the third quarter of 2010, Jet Airways became the largest airline in India with a passenger market share of 22.6%. In July 2012, the airline officially sought government approval to join Star Alliance.

Jet Airways wass not a member of Star Alliance as of 2017. In June 2011, it became the first domestic airline in India to ban meat products and liquids in check-in baggage.

Jet Airways merged the JetLite brand into Jet Konnect on 25 March 2012 and started offering business-class seats after the demise of Kingfisher Airlines.

In 2013, Etihad Airways planned to buy a stake in the airline following the government's announcement in September 2012 that foreign airlines could take a stake of up to 49% in Indian carriers.

On 24 April 2013, Jet announced that it was ready to sell a 24% stake in the airline to Etihad for US$379 million. The deal which was expected to be signed in January 2013 was postponed and was completed on 12 November 2013.

In 2013, the airline lowered prices and entered into fare war with low-cost carriers IndiGo and SpiceJet due to falling passenger demand.

In February 2013, the airline's market value dropped by 4.84 billion (US$74 million) owing to falling share prices. Jet Airways made profits in the third quarter of the financial year 2013–14, after posting losses over the previous year.

Jet Airways announced on 11 August 2014 that it would phase out Jet Konnect by the end of the year as part of plans to re-position itself as a uniform full-service operator.

On 1 December 2014, Jet Konnect was fully merged with Jet Airways, making it the third full-service airline in India besides Air India and Vistara.

In December 2015, Jet Airways announced the closure of its scissor hub at Brussels Airport by March 2016 and the opening of new hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport effective 27 March 2016.

As of February 2016, it was the second largest airline in India after IndiGo with a 21.2% passenger market share.

The airline's head office is located at Siroya Center in Andheri, Mumbai. The head office was previously located at S. M. Center, a rented six-storey building in Andheri and was moved following criticism regarding the working conditions.

Jet Airways' original livery was designed by Lowe or Lintas then. It was navy blue with light grey and chrome yellow. The top and bottom of the aircraft were painted in light grey with the flying sun logo in the navy blue background.

In 2007, a new livery was created by Landor Associates which added yellow and gold ribbons; the design retained the dark blue and gold-accented colour scheme along with the airline's flying sun logo.

A new yellow uniform was simultaneously introduced, created by Italian designer Roberto Capucci. Jet Airways introduced its new identity in conjunction with a global brand re-launch which included new aircraft and seating.

The company is listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange. 51% of the stock is owned by Naresh Goyal through his company Tailwinds International and the remaining 49% by other investors.

Jet Airways serves 65 destinations including 45 domestic and 20 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe and North America.

The airline has its primary hub at Mumbai and secondary bases at Bangalore and Delhi. In March 2004, the airline introduced its first international destination Colombo with flights connecting to Chennai.

London was the airline's first long-haul destination and was launched in 2005.

Since 2007, Jet Airways has had a scissors hub at Brussels Airport for onward transatlantic connections to North America, which was replaced by Amsterdam Schiphol Airport from 27 March 2016.

In 2008, the airline was forced to discontinue international routes because these attracted losses due to global economic downturn; it terminated services to San Francisco and Shanghai.

The airline planned to restore the Mumbai–Shanghai route by the end of 2011 but never did so. In 2012, the airline withdrew flights to New York and closed the Delhi–Milan route in 2013.

On 1 March 2016, the airline announced the integration of domestic and international operations in Mumbai airport and moved its entire operations to the newly constructed Terminal 2.

Jet Airways codeshares with the following airlines:

- Aeromexico

- Air Canada

- Air France

- Air Seychelles

- Alitalia

- All Nippon Airways

- Bangkok Airways

- China Eastern Airlines

- Delta Air Lines

- Etihad Airways

- Fiji Airways

- Garuda Indonesia

- Hong Kong Airlines

- JetStar Asia

- Kenya Airways

- KLM

- Korean Air

- Malaysia Airlines

- Qantas

- South African Airways

- United Airlines

- Vietnam Airlines

- Virgin Atlantic

According to Business Traveller, SkyTeam CEO Perry Cantarucci admits that Jet Airways is the next target to join SkyTeam, although currently Skyteam is not out recruiting new members.

Perry added that We would love to talk to Jet about becoming a Skyteam member. And they know it.

Jet Airways has ceased its Frequent Flyer Partnership arrangements with Emirates and Gulf Air starting 31st March, 2018.

This comes as another surprising termination after Jet Airways also cut ties with four Star Alliance airlines — Austrian, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Turkish in 2017.

Jet Airways Operates a mixed fleet of ATR-72, Boeing 737NG, Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft.

Jet Airways placed its first order for four Boeing 737-400 and 30 Boeing 737-800 aircraft on 11 December 1996; and the first aircraft was delivered on 12 November 1997.

It placed its second order for six Boeing 737-700 and two Boeing 737-900 aircraft on 14 June 1999 with deliveries starting in May 2001. On 5 January 2012, it inducted five ATR 72–600 series aircraft to operate on domestic regional routes.

Long-haul routes are served using its fleet of Airbus A330-200, Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

The airline placed an order for 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on 29 September 2005 which was delivered in 2007.Jet Airways ordered 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft on 29 December 2006 to operate on long-haul routes.

It placed a further order for 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on 23 April 2013 as part of modernisation of its fleet of 737s.

Jet Airways has three classes of service: First, Premiere (Business) and Economy.

First class is available only in Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The first class offers private suites; it features seats convertible to a fully flat bed, personal LCD TVs and in-seat power supply.

Premiere class available on long-haul international flights operated by Airbus A330-200 and Boeing 777-300ER aircraft features recliner seats, fully flat beds with personal LCD TVs and in-seat power.

Premiere class in domestic flights offers recliner seats with larger leg room in 2-2 configuration.

Economy class on long-haul aircraft has a 32 inches (810 mm) seat pitch with a footrest and the cabin is configured in 2-4-2 on the Airbus A330-200 and 3-4-3 on the Boeing 777-300ER.

Economy seats on the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 have a personal 10.6 inches (270 mm) touchscreen LCD TV. Domestic flights operated by Boeing 737 aircraft have Premiere and Economy classes and the ATR 72–500 have an all-economy class configuration.

Economy class on Boeing 737 have a 30 inches (760 mm) seat pitch with personal LCD behind each seat. Being a Full Service Airline, meals are served on all classes of travel.

Jet Airways has a Panasonic eFX flight entertainment system on board the Boeing 737 aircraft and Panasonic eX2 entertainment system on board the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 aircraft.

The system, known as JetScreen, offers on-demand programming and operates via an individual touchscreen monitor on each seat.

In 2012, the airline introduced a feature called eXport on their Airbus A330s, which allows passengers to plug-in their personal Apple devices.

In February 2016, Jet Airways announced the introduction of an in-flight entertainment service for streaming of entertainment content directly to Wi-Fi enabled personal devices of the passengers.

JetPrivilege is the airline's Frequent-flyer program. A member can earn JPMiles during travel which can be redeemed during future bookings.

JetPrivilege offers five classes namely: Blue, Blue plus, Silver, Gold and Platinum. Gold and Platinum members get access to Jet Airways' lounges and can avail additional benefits such as priority check-in, extra baggage allowance and priority baggage handling.

Jet Airways offers lounge service to First and Premiere class passengers, along with JetPrivilege Platinum and Gold members.

Premier lounges are available at Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Mumbai in India and all international destinations.

Awards and recognition

- Best Airline - India' in the TripAdvisor's first annual Travellers' Choice awards for airlines, April 2017.

- Best Cargo Airline 2016, Air Cargo awards.

- Program of the Year 2008, Freddie Award.

- Best Domestic Full Service Airline 2008, Galileo Express TravelWorld Award.

- Best Airline Award 2007, Genius of the Web Award.

- Best Overall In-flight Entertainment 2007, AVION World Airline Entertainment Award.

- Best Domestic Airline 2005, TTG Travel Asia Award.

- Most Respected Company 2004, Business World Award.

- World Market Development Award 2001, Air Transport World Market Development Award.

Accidents and incidents

1 July 2007: Jet Airways Flight 3307, an ATR 72-212A (registered VT-JCE), flying on the Bhopal-Indore route was involved in an accident caused by bad weather.

There were no fatalities amongst the 45 passengers and four crew but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and written off.

3 March 2016: Jet Airways Flight 354, a Boeing 737-900 (registered VT- JGD) flying on the New Delhi-Mumbai route, had a main landing gear collapse while landing at Mumbai.

This lead to a shut down of the main runway and traffic being shifted to secondary runway. Out of 127 passengers, no injuries were reported.

27 December 2016: Jet Airways flight 2374, a Boeing 737-85R (registered VT-JBG) on route to Mumbai from Goa skidded off the runway while preparing for takeoff.

15 of the 161 passengers and crew on board suffered injuries during evacuation.

22 January 2017: 168 people on board a Jet Airways flight operated by a Boeing 737–838 (registered VT-JTD) from Mumbai had a narrow escape after the tail of the aircraft hit the runway on landing at the Dhaka International airport, prompting the airline to remove the pilots from duty.

Jet Airways was expected to begin service to Newark via Brussels in June 2005. In March 2005, the airline submitted an application to the United States Department of Transportation.

The application was opposed by Nancy Heckerman, CEO of a US registered company Jet Airways Inc., based in Bethesda, Maryland, alleging trademark infringement and connections to terrorist outfit Al Qaeda. Jet Airways rebuffed the claims.

Asmin Tariq, a contractor working for the airline as a security agent at Heathrow airport was implicated in the foiled terror plot on 10 August 2006 to blow up several transatlantic airliners belonging to three different US airlines.

Subsequently, the Governments of UK and Singapore inquired security-related information from the Ministry of External Affairs on Jet Airways; clearance was further delayed to fly to the US.

The US State Department gave the go-ahead for the airline to fly to the US on 15 November 2006.

In August 2014, two pilots of Jet Airways were suspended after a plane carrying 280 passengers dropped 5,000 feet (1,500 m) mid-air en route from Mumbai to Brussels.

On 2 December 2016, Jet Airways flight 9W7083 from Bhopal to Mumbai was held up by a large group of passengers headed for a marriage in Mumbai.

There were allegations from other passengers that the wedding party was politically connected and attempted to coerce the cabin crew to disembark passengers, so that additional members of their party could be accommodated.

The airline claimed it was a technical glitch in their booking system which led to overbooking.

One Supreme Court lawyer alleged that his elderly mother was harassed by members of staff and she collapsed and suffered a laceration on her chin.

Among others, a member of staff in-charge at the airport was reported to have told him to go do whatever he could.

In 2016, the airline was implicated in the Gupta family controversy in South Africa when it was alleged by former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor that members of the business family had offered her the position of Minister of Public Enterprises.

This was allegedly on behalf of former President Jacob Zuma, if she agreed to arrange for South African Airways to drop their India route so that Jet Airways could acquire it instead.



Tourism Observer

UAE: Alpha Destination Opens India Offices

UAE-based Alpha Destination Management has joined hands with Bird Group to open seven offices across India this month and bring more tourists to Dubai.

Headquartered in New Delhi, Bird Group is one of India’s fastest growing business conglomerates with interests in travel technology, aviation services, hospitality, luxury retail and education.

“Alpha Destination Management will run three main offices in Mumbai, New Delhi and Chennai. In addition, four representative offices in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Ahmedabad will be managed in cooperation with Bird Group,” Alpha Destination chief executive officer Ghasan Aridi said in a statement.

Aridi believes that the seven offices in India will significantly boost inbound tourists to Dubai. Established in 1996, Alpha Destination Management has managed to achieve significant targets and gain a major market share within the tourism sector of the UAE.

Last year, Dubai hosted around 1.6 million Indian tourists compared to 1.2 million tourists in 2014, showing a remarkable growth of 26 per cent. The first quarter of 2016 also witnessed a 17 per cent year-on-year growth in Indian tourists (467,000).

“Dubai is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from India and at the same time India is one of the most important markets for Dubai,” Aridi.

Dubai offers all the ingredients to attract tourists in the emirate starting from the world-class airport, airlines, range of hotels, exciting cuisines, and a lot more.

Upcoming theme parks in Dubai will take the city to another level in terms of tourists’ attractions. Specially, the world’s first Bollywood Park, which is scheduled to open in October this year, is expected to be a big hit among Indian tourists.

Last year, Dubai attracted more than 14.2 million overnight visitors, showing a 7.5 per cent increase over 2014, according to annual figures released by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing. The figure means Dubai was the fourth most visited city in the world in 2015.

“By opening new offices in India, we want to help Dubai achieve a 20 million tourists target in the next five years,” Aridi said.

He hoped that Alpha’s new offices will see a significant impact on Dubai inbound tourists from India in the fourth quarter of 2016.

MALDIVES: Maldives Attracts Indian Tourists

The Maldives Marketing & Public Relations Corporation has organised a series of trade road shows in Lucknow, Chandigarh, Pune and Hyderabad, India keeping in line with its Visit Maldives 2016 year activities.

The road shows are a follow-up to the road shows held in 2015 in the cities of tier-one cities of India: New Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai which were met with resounding success.

Organised by the Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation, five representative partners from the tourism industry of Maldives participated at the road show.

They were Dusit Thani, Sun Siyam Resorts, Adaaran Resorts, Lily Beach Resort and Spa and Travelers Street.

The road show consisted of B2B sessions between the travel agents and the partners who attended the show.

Fathimath Raheel, deputy director, MMPRC said: “We are very excited to be conducting these road shows in Lucknow and other cities.

“This underlines MMPRC’s commitment to the Indian market and the importance of India to Maldives tourism numbers.”

These road shows are also a part of the overall strategy of MMPRC specifically for the India market in the year 2016.

From January to December 2015, 52,368 Indians visited Maldives which is an increase of almost 15 per cent compared to the year 2014.

Maldives offers free visa on arrival for all nationalities which is a further boost for the Indian traveller.

QATAR: Qatar Airways Upgrades Doha Bangalore To Boeing 777. Economy Class Boon.

Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways will be up-gauging its Doha Bangalore service from the current Boeing 787-8 to a Boeing 777-300ER from August 1, 2015. The up-gauge will see a increase in number of seats from 254 to 335. Qatar is the second airline after Emirates to bring the 777-300ER on a regularly scheduled service.

Qatar’s economy class on the Boeing 777s is very highly rated in terms of comfort. The airline trails only Singapore Airlines in seat width. Economy class passengers will enjoy a seat width of 18.9 inches compared to the bone-crushing 17.2 inches on their 787.

Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways

“The strengthening of the Doha–Bengaluru route reflects increased passenger demand and reaffirms our continuous expansion strategy for the Indian market. There are a large numbers of expatriates from South India who are working in Doha, and with our increasing capacity we aim to offer our customers a superior travel experience and seamless connectivity into the State of Qatar.

India is growing as an economic hub and shows enormous potential, and our growth strategy has always stressed the significance of the Indian market where we plan to seek even more capacity and increase frequency on existing routes.”

UAE: Air Arabia Evaluating Indian Airline Acquisition

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia, the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has confirmed that it is considering an investment in FlyEasy, a new Indian budget airline that has yet to launch. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India’s domestic airline business is currently the fastest growing in the world, showing a ​13.2 percent growth in revenue passenger kilometers (RPF) in September 2015 (compared with September 2014).

FlyEasy, which is based in Bengaluru (Bangalore) in the state of Karnataka, is waiting for an air operating permit (AOP) from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The new operator has leased two Embraer E-190 jets for its launch. Sixteen Indian groups (including FlyEasy) have received no-objection certificates from India’s ministry of civil aviation to launch new airlines since 2011, but only four have so far received AOPs.

Air Arabia has been pursuing an aggressive expansion strategy and has added 21 new routes to its network in the first nine months of 2015, increasing the total number of destinations to 115 routes. New routes include Urumqi, the first China route for a low-cost airline from the Middle East and Africa. The company also started a loyalty programme this year.

In 2014, Air Arabia opened its second UAE hub at Ras Al Khaimah International Airport and reportedly requested permission to open additional routes to India via the new hub, but was turned down by Indian aviation authorities. Analysts speculate that an investment in an Indian-based carrier might pave the way for a sixth Air Arabia hub and more international flight connections with India in the future.

INDIA: Air India Relaunches Business Class On Mumbai Route

Air India recently announced its intent to relaunch its business class to Mumbai.

The airline has also launched free baggage allowance of 50 kgs in business class to Mumbai and Chennai for all tickets purchased on or after 20 October and travel till 14 December.

Air India had shifted all their domestic flight operations in Mumbai to the new integrated Terminal — T2 effective 1 October 2015. As per its winter schedule, Air India has changed aircraft on Mumbai and Delhi routes with new Airbus A321s.

Air India operates 24 flights per week with daily non-stop flights to Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai apart from thrice weekly to Hyderabad and Bangalore.

INDIA: Bangalore The Silicon Valley Of India

Bangalore offers a lot to discover, particularly in its surroundings. It is not only a modern skyline of stained-glass skyscrapers and a city with a prestigious IT campus, but is also known as a garden city and the most enviable place to live for pensioners. There are certainly reasons for it.

The world knows Bangalore well. Mention it and most people will think about the IT industry, which turned the city into India’s capital city of technology; and gave the metropolis its nickname of “Silicon Valley of India”.

PATA Travel Mart 2015 from September 6-8 will be hosted in the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. This giant metropolis of 8.5 million inhabitants – making it the fifth largest urban agglomeration in the country – is working hard to establish itself as an attractive tourist destination for travellers, in addition to it being known for its IT business.

Bangalore offers a lot to discover, particularly in its surroundings. It is not only a modern skyline of stained-glass skyscrapers and a city with a prestigious IT campus, but is also known as a garden city and the most enviable place to live for pensioners. There are certainly reasons for it.


Kudremukh
Once in Bangalore, any visitor can only be seduced by the incredible dynamism of the place. Bangalore reflects the new India, just like Shanghai is a true mirror to the new China or Sao Paulo to a contemporary Brazil. Talking about the New India spirit, most official visitors will visit Infosys Campus, the world’s largest corporate university spread over 340 acres. The most iconic building on the campus is a giant glass pyramid, which could act as a twin sister to the Pyramid in the Paris Louvre Museum. In town, a few skyscrapers raise attention for their daring architecture, such as a replica – in small size – of the New York Empire State Building. To plunge in the world of the emerging generation of IT kids and entrepreneurs it is best to visit UB City Shopping Mall, Bangalore’s most prestigious address for shopaholics.

Bangalore is definitely embracing the future, and the fun is identifying where old times are still well alive. This is certainly not an easy task as the “absence of significant cultural or natural heritage is a key challenge for promotion”, according to a white paper published in early 2014 by the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group. But it is worth exploring Bangalore in depth.

Looking for Bangalore colonial history

The city still has its fair share of colonial style buildings and grand imposing structures. Such as Bangalore Palace, a reminiscence of Windsor Castle with its Tudor-syle towers and turrets. In Cubbon Park, Seshadri lyer Memorial Library Hall is a remarkable European style building and faces another icon of colonial architecture, the Attara Kacheri, an imposing vivid orange neo-gothic structure, today Karnataka High Court.


Vidhana Soudha
Among other colonial grand structures are half a dozen churches – including the Holy Trinity Church, the largest military church in South India; the Mayo Hall, an estate built in Italian renaissance style. The National Gallery of Modern Art- previously a palatial residence for the Sultan of Mysore - shows a large collection of painters ranging from the Pre-Independence school of fine arts to contemporary movements.

Let’s not forget Bangalore’s two most iconic monuments, one of which is the Vidhan Soudha, the head of Karnataka State. It is the country’s largest administrative structure, built after the independence. In a move of affirming India’s newly gained independence, architects chose deliberately a majestic neo-Dravidian style reinterpreting traditional Indian architecture. Unfortunately, like the High Court, the building can only be seen from a distance as it is not open to the public.


Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace
The other – and one of the most visited by foreign tourists - is Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace. Of Islamic architecture, the palace is an amazing construction made from teak wood inspired by Persian constructions with its vaulted ceilings and Moorish arches. A local tour company, “Bangalore Walks”, organizes tours with some architecture for Bangalore lovers. Each weekend, visitors can then either stroll along the Green Heritage Walk, the Military Heritage Walk or the Victorian Bangalore Walk. Tours change on a regular basis but information can be easily found on the Internet.

Bangalore got his nickname of a garden city in the 1920s when city officers started to develop public parks all across the metropolitan area. Among them is Cubbon park, in the city centre, a sprawling 120 hectares green space in the heart of historical Bangalore. It contains some 6,000 trees and plants and was opened back in 1870. Inside the park, there is the ubiquitous statue of Queen Victoria.

The Lalbagh Garden is Bangalore Botanical Park opened since 1856. Originally set on order of Mysore rulers, the garden was systematically extended during the British time and comprises now over 1,000 species of plants and trees on 97 hectares. Highlight is a glasshouse modeled after London Crystal palace. Lalbagh Garden is located 4 km south of the city centre.

Mysore, a city of munificent palaces

Although Bangalore offers plenty to visit and discover for a couple of days, the city is an ideal hub to explore the rest of Karnataka. An easy day trip takes travellers to Mysore. Located 140 km southwest of Bangalore, Mysore is Karnataka’s historical capital.


Mysore Palace
Being the residence of the Wodeyar Dynasty, Mysore was conferred the nickname of “City of Palaces” with seven castles to be seen around town. Among them is the Amba Vilas Palace, created in 1912 in Indo-Saracenic style. It is a spectacular structure with a sort of “gingerbread” architecture with carving and sculptures. With weekly lighting, it is now the most visited palace in India with over six million visitors a year, only beaten by the Taj Mahal in attendance numbers! A real must-do for travellers…

Another beautiful palace is the Laitha Mahal, inspired by London St Paul Cathedral. Worth a visit, the structure is now an exquisite luxury hotel bringing back memories of British India.

Karnataka world heritage
When in Karnataka, it is impossible to miss Hampi, a UNESCO world heritage site. Hampi is home to the last great Hindu empire in South India, with construction dating back to the 10th century. The magnificence of the place made the city’s famous. Hampi was covered by Dravidian temples and palaces between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before being abandoned. However, it still retains its serene beauty today with imposing ruins but also well-preserved temples to be seen such as Vitthala Temple and its exquisite carvings or Ramachandra temple shaped like a mountain.


Hampi
Further north to Hampi, Pattadakal is another complex of ancient temples, also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The spectacular Virupaksha temple dedicated to goddess Shiva will certainly evocate memories Angkor Wat for some travellers.

Abundant nature
Karnataka is not only about culture. Nature is abundant and often breathtaking. About 22.6% of Karnataka’s geographical area is constituted of forests with the State listing 5 National Parks and 22 Wildlife Sanctuaries.


Jog Falls
Breathtaking landscapes can be seen along the 320 km coastline with its pristine beaches surrounded by thick jungles where tigers can still be observed. It is also impossible to be disappointed with Jog Falls. They are one of the most spectacular waterfalls to be seen in Asia. At 291 meters over ground, these dramatic plunging waterfalls are the fifth highest on the Asian continent. They are listed among the Top 50 waterfalls in the world. The majestic mountains of the Western Ghats (a UNESCO natural heritage site) are a paradise for trekkers but also for the ones looking at adventure tourism. Rafting, rock climbing or aero sports take place in spectacular settings.

Certainly more relaxing are activities such as golf and spa. Bangalore is prosperous and golf is just one sign of its newly won prosperity. The Karnataka Golf Association manages the 50-hectare 18-hole Bangalore club, one of India’s finest golf courses. Mysore is an established destination today for yoga courses with many celebrities joining its meditation centres, while Mangalore on the coast is well established as a centre for holistic healing, ayurveda and spa.

Bangalore and Karnataka for tourism professionals

Data
• International airport with connections to 40 cities in India and close to 20 international destinations including flights to Europe.
• Karnataka is among India’s Top 5 states for domestic tourism and the 9th largest destination for international visitors. In 2013, the State received 98 million domestic travellers and 0.64 million foreign travellers. Bangalore International Airport accounted for 6.5% of all international arrivals into the country after Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai and ahead of Kolkata.

Key assets
• Well preserved landscapes with the Western Ghats range of mountains listed as a UNESCO natural heritage site
• Ancients cities with temples complexes among the most spectacular in India.
• Historical city of Mysore
• Emerging hub for fashion, music and arts in Bangalore.
• Bangalore as a Science, IT and technology centre with emerging potential for MICE.

Key challenges
• Absence of an iconic monument in Bangalore which underlines the city’s lack of image as a tourist destination.
• Lack of a concentrated area for tourist activities
• Inadequate information on places to see and things to do
• Low availability of ‘local’ experiences for tourists