'Lohandi to Ladakh' book released
BHUBANESWAR: 'Lohandi to Ladakh', a travelogue by author Om Prakash Singh, was released at an event organised by publisher Ketaki Books here on Monday.
While Singh spoke about stories of Lohandi to Ladakh, offering glimpses into moments of solitude, adventure, and introspection that shaped the narrative, the event also featured address by PCCF & HoFF Suresh Pant, who spoke on travel and forest preservation.
Retired IFS Debidutta Biswal, PCCF (KL) Uma Nanduri and PCCF (WL) Prem Kumar Jha reflected on the synergy between conservation, literature and travel.
'I am overwhelmed by the incredible support. I hope this book inspires others to find adventure and beauty, near or far,' Singh said.
An interactive session with the author allowed readers to explore the creative process and personal motivations behind the book.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
As Routes Shift,Flight Fares Goon Steep Ascent
Air fares from India to several international destinations have risen sharply in the past month, travel companies said, potentially intensifying worries for travellers especially families looking to head out for the summer holidays. Airline operating costs are getting impacted by airspace closures due to the Israel-Iran conflict, forcing longer flight detours, and fuel price volatility, the companies said, adding lower seat capacity on certain routes is also weighing on the ticket prices. Fares could rise further if route diversions and impact on flight frequencies continue, the companies said. Europe is likely to see the sharpest fare hikes, especially for routes to France, Germany and UK, said Jatinder Paul Singh, global CEO of Viacation, a travel solutions provider. 'From India, airfares to Europe have gone up by 20–35% between March and July based on forward bookings data.' Longer Diversions | page 11 Singh also noted short-term fare hikes on flights to some destinations in the Middle East. 'In North Asia, Japan and South Korea have also become significantly more expensive to reach,' he said. A one way, non-stop Air France ticket for Delhi to Paris for July 1 costs about ₹64,000 on a popular travel portal. A one way, non-stop Air India ticket for Mumbai to Japan for the same date costs ₹101, 698 per adult on the same website. Ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia have resulted in temporary airspace restrictions, leading to longer flight durations on certain routes by two to four hours, increasing operational costs of airlines, and prompting 15-20% fare hikes on certain routes, said Bharatt Malik, senior VP, flights and hotel business at Yatra Online, an online travel company. Last week, Air India diverted or recalled around 16 flights on transatlantic and European routes as Iran closed its airspace after Israel launched an attack targeting its nuclear and military sites. The Iranian airspace currently remains shut to most international flights. A June 15 advisory by IndiGo, India's largest airline, said due to the airspace curbs, flight routes to and from the Gulf region were experiencing congestion which may cause delays on certain sectors. 'As we continue to operate via alternate paths, extended travel times may be expected,' the airline in a post on X. In an update on Thursday, Air India announced a temporary reduction in services operated by Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft from June 21 till at least July 15. The suspended routes include Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London, Goa-London, while routes with reduced frequency include Delhi-Washington, Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Toronto, and Delhi-Tokyo. For some carriers, airfares for Dubai and Abu Dhabi are 10-15% higher from a month ago, while those to Japan and South Korea are 5-10% higher, said Abraham Alapatt, president and group head for marketing, service quality, value added services and innovation at travel company Thomas Cook (India). Industry insiders said the first wave of fare hikes started around late April, when Pakistan closed its airspace to Indian carriers. This affected many flights departing from north Indian cities, with reroutes adding up to three hours on some long-haul journeys. 'Subsequently, in mid-June, airspace closures over Iran, Iraq, and surrounding regions due to escalating conflict in the Middle East compounded the situation,' said Karan Agarwal, director at Cox & Kings. 'The dual impact of these disruptions has led to fare hikes of about 8–12% on Gulf-bound and short-haul international flights, while fares to Europe and North America have risen more sharply, by approximately 30–45% compared to earlier this year. These changes have unfolded gradually over a span of six to eight weeks, and pricing remains dynamic depending on route and carrier capacity,' he added. Increased flight duration, especially on long-haul routes connecting Europe, the Middle East, and the US, not only disrupts schedules but also raises operational costs like fuel, crew time, and landing charges inevitably pushing fares upwards, said Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). 'Compounding this is the surge in crude oil prices, which directly impacts aviation turbine fuel (ATF) costs. For international carriers, ATF can constitute up to 30–40% of operating expenses, making fare adjustments almost unavoidable,' he added. While airfares are expected to rise further given the surge in oil prices and longer flying times on account of airspace closures, the demand scenario will also have a role to play, said Ajay Prakash, VP, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH). 'Combine that with the comparatively lower airfares that Air India is currently offering on some routes, we could have a very fluid situation and airfares in the same sector could differ significantly from day to day and flight to flight. But there is definitely pressure on airlines to increase fares to compensate for increased operating costs.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Airspace Restrictions in West Asia: As Routes Shift, Flight Fares Goon Steep Ascent
Air fares from India to several international destinations have risen sharply in the past month, travel companies said, potentially intensifying worries for travellers especially families looking to head out for the summer holidays. Airline operating costs are getting impacted by airspace closures due to the Israel-Iran conflict, forcing longer flight detours, and fuel price volatility, the companies said, adding lower seat capacity on certain routes is also weighing on the ticket prices. Fares could rise further if route diversions and impact on flight frequencies continue, the companies said. Europe is likely to see the sharpest fare hikes, especially for routes to France, Germany and UK, said Jatinder Paul Singh, global CEO of Viacation, a travel solutions provider. 'From India, airfares to Europe have gone up by 20–35% between March and July based on forward bookings data.' Singh also noted short-term fare hikes on flights to some destinations in the Middle East. 'In North Asia, Japan and South Korea have also become significantly more expensive to reach,' he said. A one way, non-stop Air France ticket for Delhi to Paris for July 1 costs about Rs 64,000 on a popular travel portal. A one way, non-stop Air India ticket for Mumbai to Japan for the same date costs ₹101, 698 per adult on the same website. Ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia have resulted in temporary airspace restrictions, leading to longer flight durations on certain routes by two to four hours, increasing operational costs of airlines, and prompting 15-20% fare hikes on certain routes, said Bharatt Malik, senior VP, flights and hotel business at Yatra Online, an online travel company. Last week, Air India diverted or recalled around 16 flights on transatlantic and European routes as Iran closed its airspace after Israel launched an attack targeting its nuclear and military sites. The Iranian airspace currently remains shut to most international flights. A June 15 advisory by IndiGo, India's largest airline, said due to the airspace curbs, flight routes to and from the Gulf region were experiencing congestion which may cause delays on certain sectors. 'As we continue to operate via alternate paths, extended travel times may be expected,' the airline in a post on X. In an update on Thursday, Air India announced a temporary reduction in services operated by Boeing 787 and 777 aircraft from June 21 till at least July 15. The suspended routes include Delhi-Nairobi, Amritsar-London, Goa-London, while routes with reduced frequency include Delhi-Washington, Delhi-San Francisco, Delhi-Toronto, and Delhi-Tokyo. For some carriers, airfares for Dubai and Abu Dhabi are 10-15% higher from a month ago, while those to Japan and South Korea are 5-10% higher, said Abraham Alapatt, president and group head for marketing, service quality, value added services and innovation at travel company Thomas Cook (India).
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Around 8-hour delay of Goa-Pune SpiceJet flight hassles flyers
1 2 Pune: Around eight-hour delay of a SpiceJet flight from the Manohar International Airport in Goa to Pune on Thursday evening and lack of proper information from the airline's ground staffers left about 50 passengers booked on it hassled. Ishan Singh, travelling to Pune with his family, including his one-and-a-half-year-old child, said the flight (SG-1080) was slated to take off at 5.20pm and land in Pune at 6.25pm. The plane took off at 1.22am on Friday and reached Pune at 2.08am. A spokesperson of SpiceJet said, "The flight SG 1080, scheduled to operate from Goa to Pune, was delayed because of a technical issue encountered during its previous rotation. As a result, the subsequent Pune-Jaipur leg was also impacted. Passengers of both flights were informed well in advance about the revised departure times — six hours prior for the Goa-Pune sector and eight hours prior for the Pune-Jaipur sector — enabling them to plan their journey to the airport accordingly. Passengers were assisted throughout and served refreshments. SpiceJet regrets the inconvenience caused." Singh from Wakad had a different story to share. He requested the ground staff in Goa to provide them with some kind of accommodation at the airport because he was travelling with an infant. "The ground staff only told me that we could go and ask for lounge access," he said. "We had checked out of the hotel around 11.30am and reached the airport by 12noon. After arriving at the airport, we learned that the flight was rescheduled to 8.45pm. The airline might have sent messages to flyers, but I didn't receive any," Singh said. After a while, he learned that the flight was further delayed to 10.10pm. The ground staff said there were some technical problems with the aircraft and engineers had not given it a go-ahead. "Then we got another text message stating that the flight would take off at 11.10pm," Singh said. Many flyers travelling to Pune and Jaipur lost patience. "They questioned the ground staff on the issue and why they were not being served any refreshments or provided with accommodation. The answers from the ground staff were vague. Approximately 30% of the flyers cancelled their tickets and opted for a full refund. Then another message came that the flight would fly at 12.10am, triggering altercations between flyers and the ground staff. The CISF had to intervene. The plane finally took off from Goa at 1.22am," Singh said. The same aircraft was to fly from Pune to Jaipur at 7.30pm on Thursday. It flew out of the city at 3am on Friday and landed in Jaipur at 4.54am instead of 9.50pm on Thursday.
