India-Philippines Direct Flights Soon? Here’s What Officials Say — India Report

Direct flights between India and the Philippines are expected to start this year, Indian Ambassador to the Philippines Harsh Kumar Jain said this week.

Indian full-service airline Air India and budget carrier IndiGo are being looked at to serve on the route, Jain shared. 

The secretary of tourism in the Philippines Maria Esperanza Christina Frasco also said that direct flights between Delhi and Manila are possible this year based on the current progress in negotiations. She added that the department of tourism is also advocating for direct flights from India to other destinations in the country, including Cebu and Clark. 

Philippines’ Efforts for Indian Tourists: The Philippines has been rolling out measures to ramp up tourism from India as Chinese arrivals have declined, according to the Philippine government’s official news service PNA. Last year, the country fully rolled out its e-visa system for Indians for travelers wanting to visit for short-term visits. 

Now, the Philippines is working on an action plan specific to the India-Philippine tourism relations, PNA said on Tuesday. The department of tourism is also positioning itself as a wedding and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) destination for Indians.

The country’s Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) is also working with Indian stakeholders in the Philippines to bolster its promotions for India. “We are now looking at India and we are working closely together,” Maria Margarita Nograles, chief operating officer at the tourism board said on Tuesday. 

Competing With Southeast Asian Countries: In 2024, around 79,000 Indians visited the Philippines: A growth of 12% over 2023. However, this is much lower than the number of visitors recorded by other Southeast Asian nations. 

Data from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) showed that in 2024, over 4.3 million Indians visited member countries. 

China is also looking to capture Indian tourists. India and China have also agreed to resume air travel after border tensions soured the relationship between the two countries for nearly five years reducing the number of direct flights from 539 to zero. 

Ixigo’s Quarterly Gains 

Like other travel players such as MakeMyTrip and the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), Ixigo took advantage of the spiritual tourism trend in the quarter that ended December 31. In its fiscal year 2025 third quarter earnings call Tuesday, the company noted that bookings to spiritual destinations such as Varanasi, Gaya, Shirdi, Puri, Haridwar, and Vaishno Devi were up 100-150% year-on-year.

In fact, advance purchases leading up to the Mahakumbh religious gathering in Prayagraj, which is taking place in January and February, also contributed to the success, Saurabh Devendra Singh, group chief financial officer said. Passenger segments booked for Prayagraj and adjacent towns increased 4.62 times year-on-year in January this year. Flight and bus searches for the city increased 14 times, Ixigo noted. 

Goa Continues to Dominate MakeMyTrip’s Searches

The coastal state of Goa continues to be a leading leisure destination, according to search data of online travel agency MakeMyTrip. Co-founder and group CEO Rajesh Magow told news agency PTI that the platform saw a 12% increase in searches for Goa in the October-December period. During these months, hotel room bookings increased by 14%. 

This has come amid news of tourism waning in Goa. In November last year, Goa was at the center of discussions around dwindling foreign arrivals and the exploitation of tourists in the state. Exorbitant rates by cab drivers are a major pain point for tourists as cab aggregators Uber and Ola are banned in the state. Lack of cleanliness was another major issue. 

Earlier this month, the state’s tourism department reported a 27% year-on-year increase in domestic tourists in the last week of December, even as it admitted that international tourists were few in numbers. 

However, the state is still central to the expansion plans of players. On Sunday, hospitality company Oyo announced its partnership with Goa tourism department to launch its accelerator program for first-generation hoteliers. The company plans to add over 500 hotels in the state over the next one year. Last month, global hospitality chain Accor also signed two new hotels under Raffles and Fairmont brands in the state.

Indian PM on Concert Tourism

As Coldplay concluded its five-concert run in India, the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad saw people coming in from all over the country to attend the shows. Skift had earlier reported that hotel prices in Mumbai and Ahmedabad had surged to INR 640,000 ($7,600) for three nights in Mumbai and INR 150,000 (about $1,775) for a two-night stay during the concert dates in Ahmedabad. 

Now, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken about the concert economy. Talking about the growing demand for live events over the past decade, he said that India has a pool of young concert-goers and a rich heritage of music, dance, and storytelling. He also cited the Coldplay concerts and their impact on tourism and employment, before urging states and the private sector to focus on developing the necessary infrastructure and skills for this segment. This includes event management, artist grooming, security, and other arrangements, where new opportunities are emerging.

Flight Operations at Noida Airport from April

Flight operations at the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar are expected to commence in April this year, according to the Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL). The body said at least 80% of the work on the airport’s terminal building has been completed, including flooring, escalators, and the baggage handling system. 

The construction of the air traffic control tower has been completed and it is now being equipped with operational systems for air traffic management. The airport is expected to handle 12 million passengers annually in the first phase, and plans for the runway development and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) hub for the second phase are underway. 

Star Air Plans to Enter Aircraft MRO Sector

Regional airline Star Air has announced that it is exploring a joint venture to enter the aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector. It aims to focus on line and major maintenance services for regional aircraft and business jets. 

The airline marked its sixth anniversary this month. It is planning to expand its fleet to 14 aircraft by March and increase its network to over 100 flights. Currently, Star Air has a fleet of nine Embraer aircraft and operates 44 daily flights across 23 destinations.